KOITEL Patent & Trademark Agency has been operating in the field of legal protection of industrial and intellectual property (including inventions, trademarks, industrial design, etc) since 1992 when also the legal protection system for industrial property was re-established in Estonia.

In years of activity, we have secured patent protection for hundreds of inventions and registered thousands of trademarks and industrial designs with both Estonian and foreign Patent Offices (including EUIPO, WIPO, EPO). We also represent our clients before the Industrial Property Board of Appeals and at court. Further, we provide counselling for our clients in other matters related to the legal protection of industrial and intellectual property like fighting against piracy, counterfeiting and unfair competition, copyright issues, etc.

The knowledge-based economy is founded on innovative creation processes and on active invention activity. Even though businesses and economy in Estonia have grown rapidly since the country regained its independence, the number of domestic inventions protected by patents and also the number of registered trademarks is still relatively small. Many companies and inventors prefer using their industrial property without legally protecting it, not realizing that this way they are not protected and that their investments into product development, trademarks, design, etc may just remain as costs since competitors can make use of their innovative technical solutions or “goodselling” trademarks to their own advantage.

Yet, in recent years, Estonian entrepreneurs have become considerably more active, for example in registering trademarks, partly due to several trademark disputes reaching the public which helped entrepreneurs become aware of the problem. Also, the innovation activity of inventors, entrepreneurs and scientific institutions has enlivened to some extent in recent years which is favoured by the increased attention to the development of innovation from the side of the government. For example, in 2007 the Estonian Development Fund was established with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, which provides support to innovative entrepreneurship. Also the city of Tallinn subsidises the innovation activity of small enterprises by for example paying certain patent fees. What is also positive, is that for making invention activity more popular, innovationcompetitions among school children have been organized for the first time.Therefore, it may be stated that with every passing year Estonian entrepreneurs become more aware of and more active in arranging legal protection for their industrial property which is also a sign of the Estonian success model proving to be sustainable.

In order to read about various objects of legal protection of industrial property, please see the above subtopics.