Secret patents and First Filing Requirements – Project report by Christian W. Appelt and Dr Giulio Schober

Different national regulations for patent applications in Europe

How should inventions and patent application be treated that possibly concern national security interests and are therefore bound to secrecy regulations? What requirements are posed on the applicant in such cases? What procedures have to be followed, depending on the countries in which the invention has been made or depending on the nationality of the inventor? As this concerns national regulations, considerable differences in this matter occur on an international level as well as on European level.

In cooperation with and on behalf of JETRO (Japanese External Trade Organization), BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT partner and patent attorney Christian W. Appelt and patent attorney Dr. Giulio Schober have, in cooperation with further colleagues and experts from different European countries, collected these regulations and have compiled a summary report. This report has been published by JETRO in Japanese and English language, the English version can be viewed at the JETRO-Website as pdf.