28/02/2007

Issued Patents and Industrial Design registrations increased significantly in Greece last year, according to recently published information from the Industrial Property Organisation (IPO). Positive development was recorded in all measures of production and productivity, which is owed, among other things, to the reduction of the IPO's fees in 2005.

Specifically, according to the IPO's data for 2006:
- For Greek Patents, applications increased by 12.4% (by 38% during the two-year period 2005-2006) and grants by 9.5%.
- For Community Designs designated for Greece, applications increased by 13.7% (by 27.6% during the two-year period 2005-2006) and registrations by 18%.
-All nature of registrations increased by 16.9% and applications for Industrial Designs by 10.2%.
- The number of protected Industrial Designs increased by 28.4% (by 87% during the two-year period 2005-2006).
- The productivity rates of the IPO with respect to the provision of scientific services (research reports, day conferences, visits to production and research units, etc.) increased by 3.3% (by 14% during the two-year period 2005-2006).

It should be noted that the IPO actively supports the invention community, both through the reduction in fees, which essentially "funded" inventors with EUR 600,000 in 2006 (10% of the IPO's income), and also through additional measures anticipated for the convenience of universities, research centres and small to medium-sized businesses. The goal is the organisation's contribution to the establishment of a system for evaluating inventions, enhancing investments and promoting innovation.

Source: Ministry for Development