The Patent and its little Sibling Utility Model Protection for Chemical Inventions

In most cases an inventor seeking protection in Germany for an invention in the chemical or pharmaceutical field has the choice between a patent application and a utility model. For an efficient protection it may make sense to file a patent application and a parallel utility model for the same invention. The possibility to branch off a utility model from an earlier patent application within 10 years after the filing date allows a flexible response to facts that become known only after the filing of the patent application. Branching off a utility model is a sharp sword that allows rapid and effective action against an infringer.