Glossary
Obtaining a patent in France: the examination and grant procedure

Certificate of utility

The utility certificate (CU) is an industrial property title that enables an invention to be protected in the same way as a patent. The CU is issued for a period of 10 years from the filing date of the application (compared with 20 years for patents). Prior to January 10, 2020, as a consequence of the Pacte law, the life of the CU was 6 years.

The same conditions apply as for a patent, but the grant procedure is simpler, faster and less costly, since the examination does not include a search report.

It is possible to file a CU application, either directly or by transforming a patent application ( article L. 611-2 du CPI ).

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