Before investing in a patent application for an invention and before putting it on the market, it is essential to research that no earlier patents exist. We research this in a so called Freedom-to-operate search.

An FTO not only determines the availability of an invention, it also informs you about future innovation opportunities within a certain field of industry.

Contact us for an FTO cost estimate.

Before entering the market and before filing design applications, you should check the design registers to assure that there are no earlier similar designs.

In a design availability search, jazz.legal will search the desired design registers for earlier registered and published designs. You will receive a report showing all relevant designs, with a conclusion on the availability of your desired design.

The cost of such a design availability search will depend mostly on the product category.

A trademark is a sign that forms a point of recognition for your (potential) customer. For example, when the customer reads a certain name, sees a logo or hears a jingle, he will trust that he is dealing with your company.

Day in, day out you work to create a positive association with these signs. You want the signs you use to evoke the values of your company: reliability, expertise, quality, … You want to prevent others from benefiting from your effort and damaging your reputation.

Registering a sign as a trademark gives you a monopoly to use that sign in your sector. As recognized European Trademark and Design Attorneys, we assist you in the registration procedure. We offer various options, depending on which region you want to protect your trademark in.

A design protects the appearance of a product or a part of it. A design registration protects for instance the appearance of a pair of glasses, a table, a wine bottle… against counterfeit.

As registered European Trademark and Design Attorneys, we are your partner for design registration procedures.

Copyright arises when an original work of the mind is created. A mere idea doesn’t suffice, you need to have made a drawing, song, text, etc. Is this the case? Congratulations, you have become the owner of the copyright without having to go through any registration procedure.

Of course, if someone violates your rights, it will be difficult to prove that you were the first creator.

To provide this proof, it is recommended that you regularly include your work in a so-called i-depot. This gives you proof that you had already created the work on date x.

Patents protect inventions. Inventions in this sense can be summarized as technical solutions to technical problems.

Jazz.legal guides you through the process of submitting applications for and obtaining Belgian, European and International patents.