HomepagePatents
When you have made an invention, you can apply to NL Patent Office (NL Octrooicentrum) for a patent. Your invention will then be protected by patent law. This means that no one else may adopt or apply your idea or design without your permission. Every patent application is published.
Applying for a patent abroad
An invention will only be patent protected in those countries in which a patent has been applied for and granted. International patent applications can be submitted to the European Patent Office (EPO), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) or the individual national offices of the countries in which you want to apply for a patent.
Applying for a patent for software
Software as such cannot be protected by patent law. However, if you use software to improve a physical technical product or a technical method, you can protect the combination of software and technical product or software and technical method with a patent.
Software that is sufficiently original can be protected under copyright law.
