e susceptible of industrial applicationö (Utility, 1994, 1).
Under the Law on Utility Models, the inventor is afforded exclusive use of his or her invention for up to eight years. Protection is afforded once the utility model patent is entered into the Utility Model Register at the German Patent Office. Ironically, the German Utility Model Act became moot after Germany adopted the European Patent Convention to harmonize its patent laws with those of the rest of Europe. By adopting this convention, Germany eliminated its requirement that the invention must show technical advance. As Ladas & Parry (2003) explain, it also eliminated another significant feature of German intellectual property protection: ôThe harmoniza
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