Priority
With your application, you receive the right of priority, which gives your invention priority over patents or utility models filed later. Within twelve months of filing, you can also claim this priority in other countries while retaining the original filing date – you essentially take the date of your first application with you.
The priority document confirms the filing date, and contains the original documents that can serve as proof at other patent offices. A priority document is often required for subsequent applications in other countries.
A priority document costs €111,-.
A certified extract from the register costs €34,-.
A duplicate of a patent or utility model certificate is free of charge.
If you need priority documents, official confirmations, legal confirmations, official transcripts, or certifications, please contact: mailto:prioritaeten[at]patentamt.at
You can download uncertified extracts from the patent or utility model register via the online register.
Certified register extracts can be requested by email (prioritaeten[at]patentamt.at), via AOF, via Online Filing Patent, or by mail.
We also provide the priority document electronically (via the dual delivery system or e-mail) as a PDF document with an official digital signature — thereby granting it the evidentiary value of a public document in accordance with the Austrian eGovernment Act.
You can verify the date and the signatory (the Austrian Patent Office) from the signature block.
The signature block is also visible on any printouts of an officially signed electronic document, and the printout has the same evidentiary value as the electronic document itself.
WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS)
The Austrian Patent Office participates in the Digital Access Service (DAS) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Advantage: You do not have to handle the forwarding of priority documents yourself.
To make use of DAS, you need to apply for a priority document from the Austrian Patent Office and indicate that you wish to use DAS. You will then receive a code from WIPO via email. Share this code with the patent offices where you wish to claim priority for your subsequent application abroad. The participating patent offices will then download the priority certificates themselves – provided that the respective patent office also participates in the DAS system.
You can find the participating patent offices here.
Further information can be found here.