INESC TEC part of European network of intellectual property rights

INESC TEC, with the support of the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), joined the initiative of the European Patent Office (EPO), becoming one of the eleven PATLIB centres in Portugal.

PATLIBs are local and regional information centres that provide research, process, and commercialisation services of different types of intellectual property rights, e.g., patents or copyrights. These centres are familiar with the local industrial, economic, and business context, and aim to support entrepreneurs, SMEs, private inventors and students. Daniel Vasconcelos, head of INESC TEC’s Technology Licensing Office (SAL), explained that “by being recognised as PATLIB, INESC TEC has access to advanced training in the area and a network for the exchange of good practices, providing first-line services for local agents who require support in the use of intellectual property rights”. According to Daniel Vasconcelos, these services can include advice on patent strategies, patent evaluation and audits, guidance on the commercialisation or transfer of technology, among others.

Vasco Rosa Dias, Data Protection Officer and Legal Consultant at INESC TEC, added that this step “shows the path that INESC TEC has taken, as well as the skills and experience acquired in the domains of intellectual property management and knowledge enhancement, thus acknowledging the role INESC TEC plays in the national Research, Development and Innovation ecosystem”.

Currently, there are more than 300 PATLIB centres spread across the EPO member states.

The importance of a patent

Patents protect technical inventions in all fields of technology, providing holders the right to prevent others from commercially exploiting their invention. Patent applications and granted patents are published, which makes them a primary source of technical information. According to the European Patent Convention (EPC), patents are granted only for inventions that are new, involve an inventive step and are applicable to industry.