PATENTS
Israel Patent Overview

Israel is one of the most innovative markets in the world and continues to develop groundbreaking ideas and break through barriers. Therefore, ensuring that intellectual property is secured with the Israel Patent Office (IPO) is a critical function for all companies doing business in Israel or with potential Israeli competitors.

Israel is a contracting state in the Paris Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and in 2009 became an International Searching Authority. In January 2014, the Israel Patent Office joined the Global Patent Prosecution Highway. The GPPH allows patent applicants to request an accelerated examination at any of the participating GPPH offices

Registration Requirements

            1.Power of Attorney 2.Filling Fees 3.Priority Document

If an invention is patentable, Israeli Patent Law demands that it meet the following three basic requirements:

          1.Novelty 2.Practical Application 3.Inventive Step

Registration Process

A patent application has to be filed at the Israeli Patent Office in Jerusalem. The specification of an application for patent may be in English, one of Israel’s official languages, in advantageous contrast to other countries, in which the applicant must have the entire specification or at least the granted claims, translated into local language. The Israeli Patent Authority performs an examination to determine whether the application complies with the Israeli law and regulations

Duration

In Israel, patent protection is valid for twenty years

TRADEMARKS

Israel Trademark Overview

Israel is part of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. Israel is also part of the Nice Agreement on the International Classification of Goods and Services.

Registration Requirements

Once an Israeli trademark application is filed, a filing date is accorded, provided that the application contains: applicant's name and address, a graphic representation of the mark, a list of goods/services, and a receipt of payment of the official filing fee.

If any of the filing date requirements is not met, a deficiency notice is issued by the Trademark Office. In such case the filing date is deferred to the date on which all requirements are met

Registration Process

Multi-class trademark applications are available in Israel. The mark is examined approximately 15 to 18 months after filing, although proceedings may be accelerated under certain conditions.

The examination is conducted based on absolute as well as relative grounds.

A unique procedure in Israel relates to a refusal based on the existence of a corresponding pending application. If such a refusal is issued, the parties may resolve the conflict by reaching a settlement approved by the registrar. Otherwise, the registrar will issue a decision based on three criteria:

the applicants’ good faith in choosing the trademark;

the extent of use of the respective marks; and

the filing dates of the applications.

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Duration

Registered trademarks are valid for 10 years from the application date, unless the registration date falls on or before August 6 2003, in which case they are valid for seven years from application