Belgium

IPObel’s general mission is to protect intellectual property in Belgium. To that end, it is responsible for issuing and handling Belgian industrial property certificates (patents, supplementary protection certificates and plant variety rights), providing users with information on intellectual property, preparing legal texts, advising governments and representing Belgium internationally. The organization responsible for issuing and handling Benelux trademarks, models and designs however, is the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP). All info on the protection of these IP-rights can be found on www.boip.int. For the general public, IPObel is above all the office where you can file patent requests, supplementary protection certificates for medicines and phytopharmaceutical products, and plant variety right certificates, all of which IPObel issues itself. It is also the office that administers the continuance of these right. In addition to its administrative tasks, IPObel has an important role of providing information. It provides a point of contact and website where the general public can access information on intellectual property in general, as well as a large collection of patent documents and plant variety right certificates. Moreover, IPObel actively participates in developing and adapting Belgian regulations, treaties and national, European and international intellectual property agreements.