Legal Definitions - certificat d'utilite

CERTIFICAT D'UTILITE

A certificate issued by the French government that grants exclusive rights to an inventor for a new and useful invention for a limited period of time. This is similar to a patent, but for a shorter duration and with less stringent requirements for novelty and non-obviousness. In English, it is known as a utility model.

An inventor in France creates a new type of kitchen gadget that makes cooking easier and more efficient. They apply for a certificat d'utilite and are granted exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the gadget for a period of six years.

Another inventor creates a new type of bicycle lock that is more secure than existing locks. They also apply for a certificat d'utilite and are granted exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the lock for a period of ten years.

The examples illustrate how a certificat d'utilite works in practice. In both cases, the inventors are granted exclusive rights to their inventions for a limited period of time, allowing them to profit from their ideas without competition. This encourages innovation and creativity, as inventors are more likely to invest time and resources into developing new products if they know they will have some protection from copycats.