Patent registration in Ukraine

One of the largest countries in Eastern Europe, as well as one of the largest economies, Ukraine is an essential destination for innovators desiring to expand the market for their novel products. Accordingly, obtaining patent protection for their technical solutions in Ukraine is a must for most international players. Ukraine is not a member of such regional patent treaties as the European Patent Convention and the Eurasian Patent Convention and, therefore, the only way to obtain a patent is to file an application directly with the Ukrainian PTO – the Ukrainian Intellectual Property Institute (Ukrpatent).

Most international applicants seeking patent protection in Ukraine use the option provided by the Patent Cooperation Treaty and enter the PCT national phase. Many rights holders file Ukrainian patent applications claiming priority (under the Paris Convention) from earlier applications filed abroad.

In general, the Ukrainian patent system complies with common international approaches. In accordance with Ukrainian legislation, a result of a person’s intellectual activity in any technical field may be recognized as an invention if it meets standard patentability criteria and relates to a product (substance, device, microorganism strain, animal cell, plant culture), a process, a use of a product and/or a method for a new purpose.

The patentability criteria are: novelty, inventiveness, and industrial applicability.

The prosecution is conducted in Ukrainian language only. An applicant should bear in mind that translation into the Ukrainian language from Russian is usually less expensive than that from other widely used languages (including PCT languages).  Therefore, it may help to save translation costs if the applicant simultaneously files applications with other PTOs that accept filings in Russian: the Eurasian Patent Office, the Russian, Belorussian, or Kazakhstani Patent and Trademark Offices.

Ukrainian patent examination consists of formal (2-3 months from the filing date) and substantive examinations (to be requested within 3 years calculated from the filing date). Prosecution of a Ukrainian patent application takes on average 2 - 3 years depending on the volume of the application materials and complexity of examination.

Ukrainian patent validity is 20 years. Ukrainian inventions related to pharmacy and/or animal and plant protection requiring a special permit from a Ukrainian governmental body may obtain an additional five year extension supported by an officially issued certificate.

UA patent costs depend on the volume of the application materials and the complexity of prosecution. Please provide us with application particulars so we can calculate and provide filing costs.

Deadlines for filing a patent application in Ukraine are:

• 12 months for claiming conventional priority (the term may be restored within two months if missed); and
• 31 months for a PCT entry into the Ukrainian national phase.

The exception to lack of novelty (novelty grace period) in Ukraine is 6 months from the first disclosure made by the inventor or any other person receiving the information from the inventor directly or indirectly.

Ukrainian non-resident applicants must be represented by local agents who are registered Ukrainian patent attorneys. The power of attorney must be submitted in original along with the filing, but not later than 2 months after the patent application is filed with Ukrpatent. Legalization is not required.

Patent filing requirements in Ukraine:

• Filing Request with applicant’s (applicants’) and inventor’s (inventors’) name(s)/title(s) and address(es);
• the specification, claims, abstract, and figures (if any) in any language;
• originally executed PoA for Ukrainian non-resident applicants (to be filed within 2 months of submitting the application materials to the UA PTO);
• translation of the application materials into the Ukrainian language (to be filed within 2 months of submitting the application materials to the UA PTO);
• if a priority is claimed, a certified copy of the priority document (to be submitted later, within 3 months of the UA PTO filing date).

A UKRAINIAN UTILITY MODEL PATENT protects the same subject matter as an invention patent, i.e. a product, a process, or a new use thereof. The examination is formal. Patentability requirements: novelty and commercial applicability (may be put under examination on the applicant’s or another party’s voluntary request).

A utility model patent (instead of an invention patent) can be requested by the applicant when entering the PCT national stage.

Sojuzpatent will help you to file your patent applications with the Ukrainian Patent Office in any technical field with assistance of reliable local agents and will help you professionally through each step of the examination and granting. Our attorneys will take on all the substantive issues in every field of art, our state-of-the-art docketing system will help to keep track of the due dates, and our trusted agents will ensure that all the formalities within the Patent Office are fulfilled. We also provide after-grant guidance on annuities, licenses, assignments, recordation of changes, legal enforcement, litigation, negotiations, mediation, and dispute resolution.

Featured specialist

Ms. Elena V. Mozhaeva

Senior associate, Head of Filing Group

Get expert advice+7 (495) 221-8880

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