Overview of the legal framework

France’s IP system is centred on the French Intellectual Property Code (Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle, CPI). The main legislation includes:

• Intellectual Property Code (Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle, CPI)

• Trademark Law (Livre VII du CPI)

• Patent Law (Livre VI du CPI)

• Design Law (Livre V du CPI)

• Copyright and related rights (Livres I–III du CPI)

The competent authority is the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), which reports to the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty (Ministère de l’Économie, des Finances et de la Souveraineté Industrielle et Numérique).
France is one of the founding members of WIPO, the PCT, the Madrid System, the Hague Agreement, the Paris Convention and TRIPS,
and holds a central position within both the EPO (European Patent Office) and the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office).

International cooperation and system alignment

• France is a key member of WIPO, EPO and EUIPO;

• Trademarks and designs can obtain regional protection via EUIPO;

• The patent system is closely aligned with the EPO, and European patents automatically take effect in France after grant;

• Cooperative examination mechanisms have been established with USPTO, JPO, CNIPA and KIPO.

Trademark system

Filing routes

• National trademark applications can be filed directly with INPI;

• Or file a European Union trade mark (EUTM) via the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which automatically takes effect in France;

• Or designate France under the Madrid Protocol.

Classification standard

• Applies the Nice Classification;

• Both single-class and multi-class applications are accepted.

Examination procedure

• Formality examination: around 1 month;

• Substantive examination: around 3–5 months;

• Opposition period: 2 months from the date of publication.

Use and renewal

• Registration term: 10 years, renewable indefinitely;

• Non-use for a continuous period of 5 years may lead to revocation.

Examination features

• Examination language: French;

• Focuses on distinctiveness and earlier rights;

• Following the 2019 reform, the opposition system has become more active, and INPI may refuse applications ex officio on the basis of earlier rights;

• Online service platforms: INPI Direct / INPI France e-procedures.

Patent system

Types of protection and term

• Invention patents (Brevet d’invention): 20 years from the filing date;

• Utility models (Certificat d’Utilité): 10 years from the filing date.

Examination system

• Substantive examination system;

• Average examination period: around 18–24 months;

• Examination language: French.

International routes

• France is a PCT contracting state, and PCT applications may enter the national phase;

• It is also an EPO member state, and European patents can take effect in France after grant;

• Supports the PPH fast-track examination mechanism.

System features

• Applies the “first-to-file” principle;

• Examination focuses on inventive step and industrial applicability;

• Patent publications are highly accessible and transparent;

• Annual maintenance fees must be paid after grant;

• Oppositions may be filed before INPI or the Paris High Court.

Design protection

Legal basis

• Intellectual Property Code, Articles L511–L521 (Designs and Models).

Scope of protection

• The product’s shape, patterns, colours, ornamentation, textures and their combinations;

• Applies to industrial and handicraft product designs.

Term of protection

• Initial term of 5 years, renewable four times, up to a maximum of 25 years.

Examination procedure

• Examination period: around 1–2 months;

• Only formality examination is carried out; creativity is not examined;

• Examination language: French.

System features

• A single registration is valid throughout France;

• Multiple designs may be combined in one application;

• International design applications can be filed under the Hague Agreement;

• The official database is Base Dessins & Modèles – INPI.