Practice
Patents
We handle Romanian patent filing, prosecution and maintenance before OSIM, and coordinate European patent matters with specialist counsel where required.
Routes to patent protection in Romania
An invention can be protected in Romania by a national patent granted by OSIM, or by a European patent granted by the EPO and then validated here. Since 1 September 2024, Romania also takes part in the Unitary Patent: a single European patent with unitary effect now extends to Romania, and the Unified Patent Court has jurisdiction over it. Which route fits depends on where else protection is wanted, and on cost and enforcement strategy.
Where we fit
Patents sit alongside, rather than at the centre of, our practice. We handle Romanian filing, validation and the maintenance calendar dependably, and we are candid about when drafting or complex prosecution is better placed with a dedicated patent attorney — with whom we coordinate so nothing falls between the two of us.
How we work
- Confirm the route and the deadlines — national filing, EP validation, or Unitary Patent, and the dates that bind them.
- File or validate — handle the Romanian filing, or the validation of a granted European patent.
- Maintain — track and pay annuities so the right does not lapse.
- Coordinate — bring in specialist patent counsel for drafting and contested prosecution, and align with related trade mark or design matters.
Common questions
- Do you draft and prosecute patent applications?
- We handle Romanian filing, EP validation and maintenance. For drafting and complex or contested prosecution we coordinate with dedicated patent attorneys, and we will tell you plainly when that is the better course.
- Does a Unitary Patent cover Romania?
- Yes, where unitary effect was registered on or after 1 September 2024, when Romania joined the system. European patents with unitary effect registered before that date do not extend to Romania; for those, national validation is the route.
- How long does a patent last?
- Up to 20 years from the filing date, provided the annual maintenance fees are paid. Supplementary protection certificates can extend protection for certain medicinal and plant-protection products.