Abbreviations (with links)

Here you will find some abbreviations frequently used in intellectual property law. The linked links will take you to the corresponding websites where you will find further information.

• BPatG = Bundespatentgericht (Federal Patent Court) - appellate body superior to the DPMA in matters concerning the validity of German industrial property rights. There you will find, inter alia, the guidelines of the most recent decisions of this special court (urgent information).
• DEPATISnet = free database of the DPMA for searching patent documents
• DPMA = German Patent and Trademark Office - provides information on industrial property rights in Germany. Forms for the individual application procedures can be downloaded. There is also an extensive link collection to other patent offices and organisations.
• EPA = European Patent Office - provides comprehensive information on the European patent system and enables, among other things, access to the European Patent Register and the ESPACEnet database.
• IP5 = the five largest patent offices in the world - the European Patent Office (EPO), the Japanese Patent Office (JPO), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (SIPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
• JPO = Japanese Patent Office - gives explanations on patent and trademark protection in Japan. The databases contain, among other things, angelic summaries of most (recent) Japanese patents. The JPO also offers machine translation of the full texts.
• PATON =  Patent Information Center of the TU Ilmenau - offers access to patent databases and extensive information. Patent specifications can be ordered online. In addition, training courses in the patent and search area are offered, e.g. on the topic "Can patents be understood? At PATON, patent attorneys based in Thuringia provide free advice to inventors.
• PPH = Patent Prosecution Highway
• USPTO = U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - informs about protection possibilities in the USA. The patent database contains all US patents since 1790. A text field search is possible for patents granted since 1976.   
• WIPO = World Intelectual Property Organisation - Information on current activities and developments in international intellectual property. In particular, WIPO provides information and forms for procedures under the PCT (international patent applications), the MMA and PMMA (internationally registered trademarks) and the HMA (international design protection). Furthermore, important innovations and decisions concerning domain names and domain registrations are available.