Check patent law and approval law together for supplementary protection certificates.
Protection after the basic patent expires
Supplementary protection certificates can provide limited access to patent protection under the legal requirements. They are not a general extension of all claims of the basic patent. Product, Zulassung, Protection through the basic patent and relevant dates must match.
Application and examination questions
The examination begins with patent claims, Approval documents and a chronology of approvals. Differences between medicinal products and plant protection products as well as possible special rules must be taken into account. A missed application deadline cannot be remedied by simply correcting the register later.
Legal status and market planning
For generics, Active ingredient combinations and supply chains must be carefully examined, the scope of protection and legal exceptions. Companies need an assessment based on the specific product. Basic patents are available for examination, Admission notices, previous applications and the planned manufacturing steps are required.
Legal basis and official information
For an overview of IP topics · Processing status: 7. November 2026.