Choosing the most suitable type of Intellectual Property Right
To take full advantage of your idea, choose the most suitable intellectual property right. Choosing the right type of intellectual property right contributes to the maximisation of protection against unlawful copying as well as the financial and other success of your enterprise.
A summary table is provided with general information regarding the main types of intellectual property rights.
| Type of Intellectual Property | Patent | Trademark | Industrial Design or sample | Copyright |
| Maximum Protection Period |
20 years, while in the case of pharmaceutical or plant-protection products, protection can be extended up to 25 years and in case of paediatric pharmaceutical products, up to 25 years and 6 months |
Indefinite | 25 years |
varies depending on the nature of the work up to 70 years from the creator’s date of death |
| Registration cost |
€230 for national patent (including certificate's issuance cost and excluding international search fee), €100 euro for European Patent validation in the Republic of Cyprus, international patent registration cost varies per year (click here for more information) |
100,00 euro €150 per class (including the certificate's issuance cost)
|
€85,43 | automatic protection, no registration cost |
| Renewal Period | annually, beginning from the 3rd year | every 10-year period | every 5-year period | automatic protection, no renewal cost |
| What can you protect? | Innovative inventions, new processes, new mode of product operation | the distinctive logo or name distinguishing your products, services, enterprise or business name | the exterior design, the appearance of your product or part of it | the book, the article, the script, the song, the choreography, the architectural works, the software, the database, the painting, the photograph or other artwork you have created |
| Who usually applies for protection |
Inventors |
enterpreneurs, service providers, product owners | designers, product owners | writers, artists, architects, music composers, choreographers, programmers and other professionals of creative works |
| What are the benefits of protection |
obtaining a patent secures exclusive exploitation rights of your invention for the entire certificate's validity period
|
obtaining a trademark registration certificate enhances protection from infringements as well as the commercial and financial trademark exploitation |
registration of an industrial design or sample secures exclusive exploitation rights of the design for the entire registration's validity period |
automatic protection right which enhances protection from infringements |
| Patent registration | Trademark registration | Industrial design registration | Protection of your creation |
