A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. In order to be patentable, the invention must fulfill certain conditions.

Patent protection means that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed or sold without the patent owner's consent.

A patent owner has the right to decide who may - or may not - use the patented invention for the period in which the invention is protected. The patent owner may give permission to, or license, other parties to use the invention on mutually agreed terms. The owner may also sell the right to the invention to someone else, who will then become the new owner of the patent. Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention enters the public domain, that is, the owner no longer holds exclusive rights to the invention, which becomes available to commercial exploitation by others.

Megamarks S.A. provides strategic guidance to clients striving to build, maintain and protect patent portfolios.

We are experienced in securing patent protection for our clients' ideas and our patent professionals are trained in an idle range of technical disciplines.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE

• Advising on the patentability of inventions

• Conducting patent searches

• Filing and prosecuting patent applications

• Investigating the validity of patents

• Defending against allegations of infringement

• Enforcing patent rights against infringers

• Negotiating and settling patent disputes

• Patent portfolio monitoring

REQUIREMENTS

» Request filed in the country of original.

» Priority document issued by the receiving offered of the initial request.

» To register Patent in Costa Rica, Megamarks, S.A requires a Power Of Attorney (POA) granted by the owner Documents of assigning of rights of the inventor, in case the request is filed by a third party.

» Certification of registration of the patent, once recorded in its country of origin.

The current legislations which regulate this matter are the Patent Law for Inventions, Drawings and industrial and Utility Models, and the Law for the Protection of Integrated Circuit Layouts, No. 7961 of December 17, 1999.