The Netherlands Patent Office, a department of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, implements (inter)national patenting regulations within the Netherlands and promotes patents as a source of information and inspiration.
We offer support and supervision to entrepreneurs, service organisations, scientists, students and other interested parties in the Netherlands. You may consult us free of charge about patents and other ways to protect intellectual property (IP).
Intellectual property rights
Intellectual property rights protect your idea, product, service or innovative work. Thanks to intellectual property rights, you can make your innovation your property.
Categories of Intellectual Property Rights
Getting intellectual property gives you the right to benefit from your new idea, innovation or product. You can block others from copying your patented invention or design. Copyright is the largest group of intellectual properties, but there are a few more. Intellectual Property is divided into 2 categories:
- Industrial property for inventions, trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source.
- Copyright for written work such as literary and artistic works.
Symbols often represent the type of protection. The Dutch law offers options to protect inventions and innovations.
Overview of Intellectual Property Rights in the Netherlands
| Right | Protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Copyright | Copyright law | works of literature, art and science |
| Industrial Property Rights | Patent law | new products or processes |
| Trademark law | word trademarks and pictorial trademarks | |
| Design law | the exterior of an implement | |
| Plant breeders' right | crops | |
| Topographies of semiconductor products | chips |
Advice on Intellectual Property Rights
We offer you our advice on all intellectual property rights. We help entrepreneurs, service organisations, scientists, and students. Do you have questions about patents or other ways to protect your intellectual property? Please consult us for free.