The Netherlands Patent Office (Octrooicentrum Nederland)
The Netherlands Patent Office, Octrooicentrum Nederland, implements (inter)national patenting regulations within the Netherlands and promotes the use of patents as a source of information and inspiration. It is a department of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) falling under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
We grant patents in The Netherlands and maintain the Netherlands Patent Register.
We also offer free of charge and independent support to entrepreneurs, service organisations, scientists, researchers, students and other interested parties in the Netherlands, regarding any queries about patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets and other IP issues. We help you:
- Search in patent databases to find what others have already developed
- Use the patent database to monitor competitors
- Find out patentability of your own inventions
- How to collaborate without losing your trade secrets
- Formulate your own IP strategy.
This is done through 1 on 1 meetings with our patent advisors located throughout the country, workshops and orienting searches in the patent database.
Open Innovation and IP
Collaborative innovation or open innovation requires sharing knowledge. In order to prevent unwanted leakage of knowledge, companies need to split up their knowledge in three groups:
1. General knowledge that is not unique to the company and will be shared for free with others; often this is 80% of your knowledge
2. Knowledge that will only be shared for something in return, like royalties, market access or something else
3. Specialized and unique knowledge that will not be shared, because it gives the company a competitive advantage.
The knowledge that will not be shared for free, needs to be protected with contracts, patents or by keeping it secret. Only thus, you can actually share some of your new, inventive products or ideas, without losing them.
Octrooicentrum Nederland can help you find out which part of your knowledge is unique.
Hans Helsloot 31612504527 hans.helsloot@rvo.nl
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (IP) is an important tool for high-tech companies. Thanks to IP, you can actually turn your new, inventive product or idea into your own property.
IP consists of many rights. Not only patents, but also trademarks, design rights, copyright, database right, topography right, trade secrets, et cetera.
IP-right is the right to exclude others from manufacturing, selling or using commercially the protected matter. Others may gain inspiration however, from the published information existing, protected products when developing a new product of their own. This can be a disadvantage of applying an IP right. Therefore companies need to consider which way to protect their knowledge.
Specialized and independent IP advisors of Octrooicentrum Nederland can help small and medium enterprises free of charge with finding out which is the most suitable way of protecting their innovations.
Hans Helsloot 31612504527 hans.helsloot@rvo.nl
The Netherlands Patent Office (Octrooicentrum Nederland)
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List of specifications
- 25 - 100
- Teaching Institutes
- Nationally,