The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) has won a case against BDSwiss AG before the Bern Commercial Court. BDSwiss AG must now remove ‘Swiss’ from its name and the Swiss cross from its logo because it does not fulfil the legal requirements to use the Swiss indication of source. 

The Candidate Support Programme (CSP) offered by the European Patent Office (EPO) in cooperation with member states of the European Patent Organisation fosters greater inclusion, skills development and balance in the patent profession in Europe. From 2026, the programme is being expanded to include the European patent administration certification (EPAC). The EPAC certifies that paralegals,...

The upcoming revision of patent law, which will introduce a mandatory search for all applications and an optional examination of novelty and inventive step, is one of the most complex and resource-intensive projects undertaken by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) in recent years.  Preparations are in full swing and are progressing well. At this stage of the...

Given the success of CLTR 2024, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) held a follow-up event, CLTR 2025, in the Kornhausforum in Bern on 23 October 2025. The event provided a platform for around 120 participants from the fields of law, culture, politics, public administration, science and technology to discuss solutions for regulating AI in copyright law. The aim was to...

Meet our patent experts on 24th - 25th November 2025 at the Holiday Inn Munich City Centre and discover how ip-search can support you with our high quality patent searches. “With 80+ top speakers, 15+ interactive roundtables, and a bustling trade fair with over 80 exhibitors, this event offers a unique opportunity to gain knowledge, explore new technologies, and build lasting business...

Also among the top 10 are the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark and China, which enters the top 10 for the first time. At the same time, the GII report notes that slowing growth in innovation investment is clouding the outlook. To assess the innovation performance of 140 economies, the GII uses around 80 indicators. These include, among others, spending on research and...

The dialogue had been suspended during the free trade negotiations. Following the successful conclusion of the negotiations in March 2024, and with the agreement soon coming into force, the time has come to resume the meetings. In addition to regular exchanges on all key issues in the area of IP, the dialogue also offers a forum for the authorities responsible for IP in both countries to share...

We will be present at the 9th European Intellectual Property Forum, taking place on 9–10 September 2025 at the H4 Hotel Alexanderplatz, Berlin. This invitation-only event brings together top IP professionals, legal experts, and industry leaders to explore the full spectrum of the IP lifecycle - including creation, protection, enforcement, and monetization. We look forward to engaging in...

Do you work in innovation and development? Turn challenges into opportunities with our interactive patent searches Are you faced with a technical problem that seems insurmountable? The solution could be where you least expect it – in another field of technology. By working with a patent expert in an interactive search process, you can do the following: • Utilise cross-industry innovations:...

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We’re pleased to share that a new scientific paper written by our colleagues at ip-search has been published in the renowned World Patent Information journal. Title of the publication: Evaluating the effectiveness of ranking-based patent search engines for identifying relevant prior art: A comparative study in the area of chemistry Authors: David Rees, Manuel Wirz You can read the full...

Among other things, the treaty stipulates what details a design application must contain, what details are needed for a filing date to be granted and under what conditions the publication of a design can be deferred. The Design Law Treaty thus allows for an internationally harmonised procedure for registering designs. As a result, companies will be able to register their designs abroad more...

Branded clothing, handbags, shoes and luxury watches make up a large proportion of counterfeit products, most of which are ordered online and enter Switzerland by post or courier. Over 90 per cent of counterfeits intercepted at the border are in small consignments containing up to three objects. The current procedure for destroying these goods is very time-consuming because both the rights holders...

The Federal Council opened the consultation on the complete revision of the Patents Ordinance on 30 April 2025. The revision is necessary because the Federal Assembly passed a partial revision of the Patents Act in March 2024. The Federal Council is using this opportunity to completely revise and modernise the currently applicable ordinance, which has been in force since 1978. The consultation...

Do you have a ground-breaking idea or invention? ip-search, the commercial search service of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property offers you an introductory search. This allows you to find out whether your invention could be new and who else is active in your field. This service is only available to innovative SMEs, start-ups, inventors and public research organizations in...

Meet with our experts on-site. We will be attending with an exhibition and a workshop.

On 12 February, the Federal Council discussed the question of AI regulation and decided on a sector-based approach (see the media release of 12 February 2025). Any legal amendments should ensure legal certainty and also take account of the rapid development and potential of artificial intelligence.

In its session of 19 February 2025, the Federal Council resolved  to sign the new World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Treaty  on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge. This treaty regulates the disclosure of the origin of genetic resources and the associated traditional knowledge in patent applications. It seeks to promote the global...

Cancer remains a major health threat in Europe, which accounts for nearly 25% of global cases and over 20% of deaths, despite having less than 10% of the world's population. Technological advancements are improving survival rates, with European healthcare systems showcasing excellence in cancer prevention and patient care. Ahead of World Cancer Day, the European Patent Office (EPO) has published...

“In Switzerland, we need a vision of the values we care about in society and the economy and the extent to which we can maintain a society in which AI furthers these values and doesn’t undermine them.” We at the IPI agree with this statement made by Dr Dorothea Baur at CLTR 2024 . We therefore set out in search of such a vision and found what we were looking for!

The revised Patents Act passed by Parliament governs the new features in the Swiss patent system. The preliminary draft of the completely revised Patents Ordinance implements these legislative amendments and regulates the details of the new patent granting procedure, including a newly introduced optional full examination and a compulsory search with a report on the state of the art for each patent...

We’re pleased to bring you some good news. From now on, you can search for the figurative elements of trade marks in the IP rights database Swissreg. The figurative elements of figurative, word/figurative and other trade marks are now coded using the Vienna Classification. You can use the ‘Vienna Classification’ filter to find and select these codes and then search for all trade marks whose...

In view of the entry into force of the revised Patents Act, the mechanism initiating the request to pay the examination fee has been amended. In future, the time period until the request is sent will be counted from the date of filing or (new), if claimed, from the priority date. The new practice will be gradually implemented from January 2025.

Meet our patent experts on January 28 - 29, 2025 in Austin Marriott South, Texas  and discover how ip-search can support you with our high quality patent searches. www.iqpc.com/events-global-ip-exchange-usa 

At its meeting on 2 December 2024, the Federal Council elected Caroline Perriard to the Institute Council of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). On 1 March 2025, she will succeed Béatrice Renggli, whose 12-year term of office will expire at the end of February 2025. Caroline Perriard, who lives in the canton of Vaud, is an expert on data protection and intellectual property...

The Diplomatic Conference to Conclude and Adopt a Design Law Treaty successfully ended on Friday, 22 November, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The twelve-day conference marked the final stage of the WIPO treaty negotiations. The new Riyadh Design Law Treaty (DLT) is an international treaty which aims to harmonise and simplify the international design registration process. It is comparable to the Patent...

Four hundred participants attend CLTR 2024 in Basel When the computer becomes your competitor: at CLTR 2024, representatives from the creative sector, politics, business and academia discussed the relationship between creative work, artificial intelligence and the platform economy. According to a recent study by PwC Switzerland, around half of Swiss creative professionals already use AI...

In August, we announced that we would be relaunching Swissreg. Now we can reveal the date: on 11 November 2024, the modernised Swissreg will go live at the address www.swissreg.ch. This means that both the organ of publication and the IP rights databases will be available at the same address. Using the ‘Publications’ search mask, you’ll be able to search for all legally effective publications...

The IPI is pleased to have supported the international organisation for geographical indications, oriGIn, along with other organisations, in setting up the 1st international meeting of legal experts on geographical indications (GIs). 

Switzerland has been named the most innovative country in the world for the 14th consecutive year. On 26 September 2024, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presented the Global Innovation Index (GII) in Geneva. The GII is the most renowned annual ranking of the innovative strength of individual countries. Switzerland has ranked first out of a current total of 133 countries since...

« Données industrielles : Une richesse à exploiter » L'événement organisé par la HEIG-VD en collaboration avec l’Institut Fédéral de la Propriété Intellectuelle (IPI) aura lieu le 17 octobre 2024 dès 15h30 au Y-PARC à Yverdons-les-Bains.

We’ve always provided individuals, start-ups and SMEs with the best possible information so that they can recognise the potential of their intellectual property and optimally protect and use it. We’ve now extended our existing offering to include attractive new information services. The focus is on imparting basic knowledge: How can companies adequately protect their innovations and creations?...

Since 2001, we’ve provided an online database, www.swissreg.ch, offering quick and easy access for all interested parties to information from the trade mark, patent and design registers, as well as information on protected topographies. This widely used database and publication organ is to be relaunched at the end of October 2024. A more powerful and extensive database, database.ipi.ch, is...

From 1 July 2024, the new IPI directive for the supervision of the collective rights management organisations comes into force. It sets out guidelines for the IPI as supervisory authority when reviewing the management of the collective rights management organisations and is consistently focused on a risk analysis. The new directive replaces the one from November 29 2017 and will apply as of the...

After around 20 years of negotiations, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) succeeded in adopting a new treaty on intellectual property and genetic resources in the small hours of 24 May 2024. The new treaty stipulates that the origin of genetic resources and the associated traditional knowledge must be disclosed in patent applications. The aim of this measure is to increase...

On 22 May 2024, the Federal Council submitted a draft on the revision of patent law for consultation. This provides for the establishment of a clearing house to increase transparency regarding patent rights in plant breeding. The consultation procedure will run until 12 September 2024. Federal Council media release Further information on our website

We have made changes to our forms: ‘Application to register a design’ (in German, French and Italian) ‘Application for the grant of a patent’ (in German, French and Italian) and ‘Designation of inventor’ (in German, French and Italian). Please use these new versions to facilitate the processing of your applications. The changes are minor.

Under the theme ‘IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity’, World Intellectual Property Day 2024 is addressing global challenges and highlighting the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To mark the event, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) has published new information about IP and sustainable development on its website....

The 4th edition of the Swiss Cleantech Report is now available. This reference publication shines a spotlight on Switzerland’s strengths in the field of clean technologies and highlights a range of technologies, products and achievements developed by Swiss SMEs, research institutes and start-ups. The focus of this latest edition is put on sustainability, in line with the UN’s Sustainable...

The final vote on the partial revision of the Patents Act was held in Parliament on 15 March 2024. The National Council approved the bill by 191 to 0 votes with 0 abstentions and the Council of States approved it by 44 to 0 votes with 0 abstentions. If no referendum takes place, the Federal Council will decide on the commencement of the Act. At the same time, preparations are already being...

In 2023, 16,908 national trade mark applications were filed with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). This was a slight increase compared with 2022 (16,728). Almost 98% of applications were filed online via e-trademark. Word marks came out on top once again, accounting for more than 56% of all applications. Combined trade marks, consisting of words and images, were also...

Ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February), the European Patent Office (EPO) has just released a new study, which finds that innovation in the fight against cancer has surged by 70% between 2015 and 2021, as measured by the number of international patent families (IPFs). Switzerland contributed largely to this development. In the past 20 years, close to 5000 international patent families have been...

Many industries use patents, trade marks and copyright to protect their intellectual property. At the same time, emerging companies often find it difficult to turn such intangible assets into capital to support their growth. There are some exceptions, however, as a study commissioned by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)...

Find out what the IPI was working on in the 2022/23 business year in our new annual report. Take a look back at 20 years in the Patent Division in our extensive interview with Alban Fischer. And leaf through the photos to discover the many commitments the IPI maintains in line with its slogan ‘We foster innovation’. We hope you enjoy reading it!

“The continued development of the Lisbon System is of great importance for trade mark holders throughout the world, as it provides information on the names that are protected as GIs.” Catherine Chammartin, Director General of the IPI, underlined the importance of the Lisbon System for the international protection of geographical indications in a transparent and inclusive manner. Meanwhile the...

At its meeting on 22 November 2023, the Federal Council elected Daniela Marino as a new member of the Institute Council. It thus adopted the proposal of the General Secretariat of the FDJP. Additionally, it re-elected the eight existing members of the Institute Council. Due to the restriction on periods in office, Beatrice Renggli was re-elected until 28 February 2025 and Evelyn Zwick until 28...

Amidst the Black Friday and Christmas season, STOP PIRACY shares crucial advice to distinguish reliable online shops from scams. The Federal Customs and Border Protection Agency recorded a concerning 30% increase in counterfeit goods online in 2022. With clear pointers such as correct web addresses, complete legal information, reviews, verification of the authenticity of quality labels, return...

The general meeting of STOP PIRACY, the Swiss anti-counterfeiting and piracy platform, took place on 15 September at the company USM in Münsigen. The attendees unanimously elected Marc Wullschleger as the new president. He replaces Anastasia Li-Treyer, who announced her resignation last year after a lengthy period in office. Marc Wullschleger is a trade mark attorney at Isler & Pedrazzini AG,...

This year’s congress of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property – known as AIPPI, Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle – is taking place from 22 to 25 October in Istanbul. We are looking forward to discussing with you the most current developments and trends in the field of patent information at the event. You can find us at...

As the various procedures and register maintenance work in the fields of trade marks, designs and patents have been harmonised, the IPI has drawn up new guidelines to reflect this harmonisation. These harmonised guidelines concern the sections ‘General section’, ‘Registration/grant procedure’ and ‘Register maintenance’. They were submitted to stakeholders for consultation. The IPI has also...

Our popular online services for trade marks have been expanded. The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) now also offers databases for all IP rights as well as various digital services to make it easier for customers to manage their IP rights and pay fees. Here's an overview of the new online services. New databases for patents, designs and supplementary protection...

Media companies are to receive remuneration from large online service providers for the use of their journalistic works in future. Journalists are to benefit from this too. The Federal Council opened the consultation on the amendment to the Copyright Act (CopA) on 24 May 2023. It will continue until 15 September 2023. Federal Council's media release Further information on our website

From counterfeit luxury watches to designer handbags: thanks to a new procedure, it will be easier to destroy fake products arriving in Switzerland in small consignments in future. On 26 April 2023, the Federal Council noted the outcome of the consultation procedure and adopted the dispatch and the draft of the Federal Act on the Introduction of a Simplified Procedure for Destroying Small...

The 57th final of the national Swiss Youth in Science competition took place on 22 April at the University of St Gallen (HSG). Christian Moser, who manages the IPI’s involvement, presented a special prize to each of the two winners. In the morning, visitors had the opportunity to view all the final-round projects and ask the young people about them. The varied nature of their work – from the...

Female inventors are the focus of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day. For generations, women have shaped our world with their ingenuity and creativity. On 26 April, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will be celebrating innovative women across the globe under the heading ‘Women and IP’. “Women everywhere are driving scientific breakthroughs, setting new creative trends...

The number of trade marks active in Switzerland has continued to rise. At the end of 2022, there were almost 550,000 active trade marks. The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) recommends searching databases before applying to register a trade mark. This helps to avoid conflicts with third parties. It is also worth conducting a search before applying to protect inventions and...

Young entrepreneurs in Switzerland often run into problems with their trade marks. With far-reaching consequences at times. You can avoid lawyers’ letters by doing a trade mark search. Read the whole story in our blog

You often hear people using the term ‘intellectual property’ or ‘IP’ in the entrepreneurial world. But what is it all about and what do entrepreneurs need to know to safeguard their intellectual property? The aim of the be-smarter online event is to raise awareness of the need to protect intellectual property, which is particularly important for entrepreneurs. To this end, the event presents...

Eversys SA is making a name for itself with its professional coffee machines from Valais – thanks partly to four key patents. Co-founder and engineer Robert Bircher talked to us about when patent protection is needed and what he did wrong when he filed his first patent application. Read the whole story in our blog.

Date:              Tuesday, 7 February 2023 Time:              1.30pm – 5.30pm Location:        University of Geneva / Online via Zoom Language:      The presentations will be in French and English (simultaneous interpretation will not be provided). Programme details and registration: https://www.unige.ch/droit/jdpi/programme/. Registration closes on 30 January 2023. At the Swiss Federal...

At its meeting on 11 January 2023, the Federal Council elected Stefan Hostettler Fischer as Secretary General of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) and member of the Institute Council of the IPI, with effect from 1 February 2023. In the role of Secretary General of the FDJP and member of the Institute Council, he succeeds Barbara Hübscher Schmuki, the new Secretary General...

Trade marks are a valuable asset for many companies. By registering them, companies identify their product as being their intellectual property and thereby protect themselves from free riders. In future, it will be less expensive to file a trade mark and renew its term of protection in Switzerland. The Federal Council approved the amended Fee Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Institute of...

Find out what the IPI was working on in the 2021/22 business year in our new annual report. Go behind the scenes of the most recent IP right in the big interview with ‘Mr Design’, and solve our picture clues based on classic films. We hope you enjoy reading it!

On 18 November 2022, a technical meeting on voluntary licensing took place in Bern between the Swiss Confederation, Product Development Partnerships (PDPs), the Swiss pharmaceutical sector and representatives from international organisations. The event was facilitated by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The aim was to bring...

Marcus Ehnle (born in 1969) will become a member of the Executive Board on 1 July 2023. As the new Head of the Patent Division, he will replace Alban Fischer, who will be leaving the IPI at the end of June 2023 after more than 24 years of service. Marcus Ehnle initially studied geophysics and then obtained a Master of Law (University of Lucerne), and is a qualified European, German and Swiss...

Who knew IP could be such fun? On 23 November, the IPI conducted a challenge which saw participants develop an IP strategy by playing a game. The event took place as part of the Swiss Innovation Forum (SIF). An invention by a fictional company was the starting point for an exciting journey centred on innovation and protection. Throughout the challenge, the participants were repeatedly presented...

Too attractive, too cheap, too generous? Trade in new and used products is increasingly shifting to online marketplaces. Fraudsters are taking advantage of this. They use tricks to lure their victims into acting carelessly or they deliberately mislead them. Trust your instinct. If it doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t. Take a close look if you’re in any doubt and double check anything that...

The Patents Act is to be adapted to international standards and the Swiss patent system is to be made more attractive to SMEs and individual inventors, in particular. They will be able to choose the patent examination procedure that suits their needs and resources. At its meeting on 16 November 2022, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the partial revision of the Patents Act for submission...

Startup Nights took place on 3 and 4 November in Winterthur. At their stand, the team from the IPI answered numerous, and sometimes very specific questions, on trade marks, patents and designs. They also held a workshop for start-ups in which patent expert Christian Moser gave the participants an overview of IP rights, with a focus on patents. Among other things, he outlined the questions...

A new study released today by the European Patent Office (EPO) finds that 13.2% of inventors in Europe are women. The study, the first of its kind to be published by the EPO, is based on the percentage of women inventors named in all patent applications to the EPO from 1978 until 2019. It highlights that while the women inventor rate in Europe has been rising in recent decades (up from only 2% in...

Developing a new plant variety is complex and expensive, and it can take up to fifteen years to bring a variety to the market. The expenses incurred in the development process are financed through the sale of the seed. Given that plant seeds can be simply ‘copied’ through propagation, a suitable protection system is needed. Plant variety protection and patent law, in particular, serve this...

Seventy-five years ago, Walter Steiner invented the legendary rotary clothes dryer. The once patented ‘Spinne’ is still part of Stewi AG’s product range. The new owners of the company continue to protect their innovations. Read the whole story in our blog.

Switzerland is the 2022 innovation world champion The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022 ranks Switzerland as the most innovative country in the world for the twelfth successive year. The index covers 130 countries. Ranking 1. Switzerland (number one in 2021) 2. USA (3) 3. Sweden (2) 4. UK (4) 5. Netherlands (6) 6. South Korea (5) 7. Singapore (8) 8. Germany (10) 9. Finland (7) 10....

The Boldbrain Startup Challenge, Ticino’s accelerator for innovative business ideas, has announced the 20 teams participating in the fifth edition of the programme. A total of 128 applications were submitted, confirming the trend of previous years. The IPI is a co-sponsor and is offering all finalists a voucher for an Assisted Patent Search. A total of 128 applications were registered for this...

The consultation period on the substantive patent law harmonisation has come to an end and we draw some preliminary conclusions based on the received comments. Check our website!

Date: 13 July 2022 Time: 11.30am – 2pm  Location: ZHAW, St.-Georgen-Platz 2, 8401 Winterthur, Building SW, Room 401 or online (LINK) The revision of the Swiss Patent Act is intended in particular to increase the value of the Swiss patent. For the fully examined patent, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) will in future examine all legal requirements, including novelty...

On 5 July 2022, the WIPO Director General Daren Tang made an official visit to Bern. Tang and his delegation visited both the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The aim of Daren Tang’s visit was to exchange ideas with the Swiss delegation: Catherine Chammartin, Director General of the IPI; Felix Addor, Deputy Director...

Date: Thursday, 15 September 2022 Time: 10.00 – 17.00 Location: University of Neuchâtel Topic: More and more companies are jumping on the NFT bandwagon and selling various NFT items. But what actually are non-fungible tokens? Why are Swiss companies using this new technology? And what role can NFTs play in the fight against counterfeiting? The event will...

The IPI has assisted applicants and proprietors of trade marks with professional trade mark searches for over 60 years. It has thus given clients a reliable basis for taking decisions about trade mark protection. Nowadays, people who want to search for trade marks or monitor the market are increasingly doing so themselves using free online databases. As a result, the demand for trade mark...

Pettastic has won the IPI’s IP Management Award 2022. The mini-enterprise engaged with the protection of intellectual property most intensively over the course of the Young Enterprise Switzerland (YES) one-year Company Programme. The company makes phone cases from recycled PET. Read the whole story in our blog

The topic of meat substitutes is on everyone's lips here in Switzerland, as in many countries. At the forefront of Swiss manufacturers in this field is the start-up Planted, whose success is partly due to its systematic protection of intellectual property. Read the whole story in our blog.

On 18 May 2022, the Federal Council adopted the strategic objectives for the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) for the years 2022 to 2026. To boost innovation and competitiveness, the IPI has been tasked with promoting appropriate, economically viable protection of intellectual property in Switzerland in future too. For further information: Federal Council's media release...

By means of notices dated 30 April and 29 December 2021, Germany terminated the Agreement of 13 April 1892 between Switzerland and Germany on Reciprocal Protection for Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (SR 0.232.149.136). This decision follows a judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union dated 22 October 2020 (joined cases C-720/18 and C-721/18) in which the court ruled that the above...

Swiss Youth in Science competitor Noa Sendlhofer has notched up a fantastic achievement. The 20-year-old ranked second in the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2022 (ISEF) in Atlanta on 14 May. His project was on the ‘Development and Construction of a Low-Cost Six-Axis Robot Arm’. This recognition places the young Swiss...

Join us for our next IP conference on the afternoon of 7 June (CET). The topic is industrial data sharing, with the following top speakers: Prof. Alain Strowel, UCLouvain CRIDES & Université Saint-Louis, Brussels Prof. Christiane Wendehorst, Department of Innovation and Digitalisation in Law, University of Vienna Prof. Dev Gangjee, Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre (OIPRC),...

During 2021, Switzerland’s life sciences sector again played a major role in combating the COVID pandemic with two Swiss based companies developing in partnerships effective Covid-specific therapeutics (Humabs BioMed/Vir Biotechnology and Molecular Partners/Novartis). In addition, Swiss life science companies also continued their work developing innovative solutions for other high unmet medical...

The inventiveness of our young people is the focus of World IP Day today, 26 April 2022. They are the innovators, creators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The IPI has been committed to youth innovation projects and raising young people’s awareness of intellectual property for years. Dorian Jouilé from France has successfully turned CO2 into a resource. Raquel Serrano Lledó explains in this video...

Following positive experiences with earlier events of this type in 2016 (“watch technology”), 2017 (“pharmaceuticals”) and 2019 (“computer implemented inventions”), the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property and the European Patent Office are pleased to invite you to a public seminar on patenting issues in the area of “Green Tech”, with particular focus on “battery storage” and on...

The European Patent Office (EPO) received 188 600 applications in 2021, up 4.5% on the previous year and the highest number to date. The EPO’s Patent Index 2021, published today, shows that patent filings rebounded significantly last year after a slight dip in 2020 (-0.6%). The number of patent applications – an early indicator of companies’ investments in research and development – increased in...

Substantive patent law is to be harmonised internationally. The European Patent Organisation and the intellectual property offices in 45 industrial countries, including Switzerland, have been pursuing this objective since 2014. The aim of harmonisation is to simplify and accelerate procedures, lower the costs for obtaining and enforcing patent rights, and increase the predictability of procedures,...

The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) wishes to enable its clients to register, manage and pay for trade marks, patents and designs online quickly and easily. To this end, it is gradually introducing new online services. A new platform is now available that allows trade mark applicants and holders to apply for protection in more than 120 countries. Thanks to the extension...

Swiss companies demonstrated their innovative spirit once again during the second year of the pandemic. More trade mark applications were filed in 2021 than in the previous year. Additionally, around 1,000 innovators carried out a search with the IPI to examine their inventions in detail. More trade mark applications are filed every year in Switzerland. This upward trend also continued during...

The Swiss Youth in Science National Competition is well underway. In three online workshops conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) in January, participants learned about the role intellectual property plays in their project work. Read the full article on the blog.

When smear-ripened cheese is stored in airtight packaging, it often loses some of its flavour and becomes sticky. A new manufacturing process resolves this problem. It was devised with the help of a stocking. Read the whole story in our blog

The Gadient brothers produce everyday objects from wood. They have protected some of their sophisticated designs and were surprised by how simple the filing process was. The next products are already in the pipeline. Read the full story of the Gadients in our blog. Enjoy reading!

To this day, country names such as Switzerland, Suisse and Schweiz are being registered as elements of a trade mark without any restriction. As a result, there are a large number of trade marks with country names that have nothing to do with the respective country. The dispute between the Icelandic state and the British supermarket chain ICELAND is therefore considered a model case. Swissness...

During the pilot phase, some of our clients took a closer look at the new format of our search report. They praised the fresh look, the fact that the main results of the search can be skim-read and that the report is easy to navigate. This feedback also enabled us to tailor the report even better to the needs of our clients. The main new features of the report (pdf) are the following: A...

Inspiring projects relating to innovation will be presented at the Swiss Innovation Forum (SIF) in Basel on 18 November. After being held virtually last year, the event will take place in person again in 2021. The conference highlights that innovation is the basis for success, especially in these exceptional times. The forum is an inspiring platform for exchanging ideas, networking and...