Intellectual Property

Protecting Your Ideas 

The Irish Patents Office is the statutory body with responsibility for matters relating to intellectual property. It operates a Library and Information Centre for those interested in applying for patents, trade marks or copyrights.
  • A Patent confers upon its holder, for a limited period, the right to exclude others from exploiting (making, using, selling, importing) the patented invention except with the consent of the patentee. A patent can be bought and sold, licensed or used by the owner either in whole or in part.

  • A Trademark is the means by which a business identifies its goods or services and distinguishes them from those supplied by other businesses. Trade Marks may consist of words, (including personal names), designs, letters, numerals or the shape of goods or of their packaging.

  • Copyright is a form of legal protection that applies to a number of categories of work, principally the traditional "artistic" categories of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, and categories of work which approximate to these traditional categories. Among the latter are computer programs, which are given written expression in specialised languages and are, therefore, protected as "literary works".

Useful Contacts

The Patents Office
Government Buildings
Hebron Road
Kilkenny
Tel: (056) 7720111
Lo call: Tel: 1890-220 223
Web: www.patentsoffice.ie
Email: [email protected]

Association of Patent & Trade Mark Association
David Brophy
Honorary Secretary
c/o F.R. Kelly & Co.
27 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Tel: (01) 2314848
Fax: (01) 6144756
Web: www.aptma.ie
Email: [email protected]