e-Filing for Industrial Property

What is e-Filing for Industrial Property?

e-Filing is an application that provides online filing for the registration of industrial property rights. Filing becomes thus more available to users independent of the location with a possibility of more efficient data exchange between the SIPO and the users.

What does e-Filing Enable?

e-Filing is an application that provides filing electronically:

• filing for the protection of industrial property (patent, trademark, industrial design, supplementary protection certificate, utility model),
• request for the entry of a European patent in the register of the Office,
• subsequent submissions* by individual subject matter.

* Subsequent submissions include:

• amendments/corrections of a particular application for industrial property or of request for the entry of a European patent in the register of the Office,
• requests for the entry of changes in the register of applications/rights (transfer of property, licences, right restrictions and the like),
• requests for renewal of protection,
• requests for corrections of mistakes in registers,
• amendments/corrections of already submitted requests as previously mentioned,
• payment slips, powers of attorney.

Note: Subsequent submissions may be delivered to the Office via e-Filing application independent of whether an application for industrial property protection as previously filed was received personally, by mail or by using e-Filing application.

Who may be user of an e-Filing service?

The user may be any legal or natural person intending to register industrial property.

All users, except in case of filing a one-time application, have additional possibilities: to browse through their applications previously filed, to monitor application status and to deliver subsequent submissions to the application.

Each user of e-Filing shall be entitled to a discount when filing an application electronically in accordance with the (OG No. 119/2021).

Basic prerequisites for using an e-Filing

The prerequisites for using an e-Filing are as follows:

• a smart card or a cryptographic USB with a qualified digital certificate issued by the FINA or the AKD (Agency for Commercial Activity) and an electronic personal identity card with an AKD certificate,
• USB reader (when using a smart card),
• personal computer with the Windows 7 operational system or higher and Internet access,
• installed software support for USB / smart card,
• installed SIPO’s application for digital signature.

USB / smart card serves for digital signing of a request, which is a prerequisite for electronic filing of application.