Specific procedures (1) Prepare application documents: application form and patent documents. The application form can be downloaded from the Patent Office website and must be filled out in Dutch. The patent document must describe the patent content in Dutch or English. The description must use legal terms and be as precise as possible, and the format must meet legal requirements. The Dutch Patent Office recommends hiring a patent attorney when applying for a complex patent and having the attorney help draft patent documents to reduce the possibility of the patent being challenged. Patent attorneys must register with the Patent Office. Information about all patent attorneys can be found on the website of the Dutch Patent Attorneys Association (www.octrooigemachtigde.nl). (2) Submit application documents and pay patent application fees. There are several ways to submit documents: - By letter. ——Submit the application in person or by a patent attorney during office hours of the Patent Office. ——Submit by fax. - Apply online through the European Patent Office's Epoline system (www.epoline.org). The online application fee is 80 euros and the fee for other methods is 120 euros. Payment cannot be made in cash, only by transfer. If the information in the application documents is incomplete, the Patent Office will give the applicant a list of supplementary information, and the applicant should complete it within 3 months, otherwise the patent will be invalid. (3) Apply to the Patent Office for a novelty investigation within 13 months after submitting the patent application. The patent application form includes an application for novelty investigation, or you can file a separate investigation application after submitting the patent application. The novelty investigation can choose between a Dutch investigation (€100) or an international investigation (€794). The former is completed by the Dutch Patent Office, and the latter is completed by the European Patent Office. (4) The investigation report will be received approximately 9 months after submitting the novelty investigation application. The investigation report consists of two parts. One part is the document number of the relevant patent document and magazine article, and the other part is the written opinion issued by the Patent Office explaining the impact of the first part of the document on the novelty of the patent applied for. (5) Within 2 months after receiving the investigation report, the applicant shall modify the wording of the patent document based on the investigation report as appropriate. (6) The validity period of a patent is usually 20 years. From the 4th year after it becomes effective, patent maintenance fees must be paid annually, and the fees increase year by year. 2. Registered Trademarks The agency responsible for trademark registration in the Netherlands is the Benelux Trademark Office. Successfully registered trademarks will be valid in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The validity period is usually 10 years, and the registration can be renewed indefinitely. The validity period of each renewal registration is still 10 years. (1) To submit an application, you can download the Dutch or French application form from the Benelux Trademark Office website (www.boip.int) and submit it by letter, fax or door-to-door submission, or apply directly online on the website. The Benelux Trademark Office will send a letter informing you whether the application meets the minimum specifications and the registration fee payable. The registration fee for a regular trademark is 240 euros. Applicants should complete payment within 1 month after submitting the application. (2) Publication application The Benelux Trademark Office publishes application requirements through the registered trademark registration database. (3) Substantive examination: The Benelux Trademark Office conducts a substantive examination of a trademark, which usually takes 3-4 months. Other registered trademark holders have the right to object within 2 months after the announcement. If the negotiation is invalid, the Benelux Trademark Office will make a decision. (4) If the registration is completed and passed, the Benelux Trademark Office will issue a trademark registration certificate to the applicant. If the review fails, you can apply for reconsideration in writing within 6 months. If the Trademark Office refuses to change the decision, the applicant may appeal to the court. Under special circumstances, you can request expedited processing, and you need to pay an expedited fee. The registration procedure can be completed within a few days, but a substantive review will still be conducted after the registration is successful.