What is a utility model?

Like a patent, a utility model is a security document by which the state gives the exclusive right to its owner to use the invention for an exact time. The utility model is a type of industrial property, and it's granting in Slovakia is governed by Act No. 435/2001 Coll. on patents, supplementary protection certificates.

What is the difference between a patent and a utility model?

A utility model, like a patent, must meet the conditions of novelty, industrial applicability and must be the result of an inventive step. However, when filing a utility model, the Industrial Property Office does not carry out a complete survey, so even a registered utility model is not necessarily a confirmation of the novelty of the invention. The validity of the ÚV is also shorter than the validity of the patent, the utility model is valid for four years, with the possibility of its further extension twice by three years.