The Economist Intelligence Unit is a highly respected organization that produces numerous reports including its Country Commerce report for 55 countries. Included in each report is a section on licensing and protecting intellectual property.
For example, the 2008 Belgium report indicates that prior examination by the European Patent Office in The Hague is required for a 20-year patent. Belgium also offers a six-year patents. For faster processing of a 20-year patent, an applicant can pay an additional fee to receive priority. The granting of a six-year patent takes less time, since it does not require prior examination.
The Belgian Intellectual Property Office (Office de la propriété intellectuelle--OPRI) handles trademark, patent and design protection. Patents, trademarks, industrial designs and models, and plant varieties must be formally registered to receive protection. Protection is automatic for copyrights, semiconductor topographies and know-how. Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. Belgium also recognizes the right to payment when a work is borrowed--as from a library.
Five years are archived for each country and the reports can be downloaded in pdf or html formats.
http://0-www.eiu.com.cardcatalog.piercelaw.edu/portal
For example, the 2008 Belgium report indicates that prior examination by the European Patent Office in The Hague is required for a 20-year patent. Belgium also offers a six-year patents. For faster processing of a 20-year patent, an applicant can pay an additional fee to receive priority. The granting of a six-year patent takes less time, since it does not require prior examination.
The Belgian Intellectual Property Office (Office de la propriété intellectuelle--OPRI) handles trademark, patent and design protection. Patents, trademarks, industrial designs and models, and plant varieties must be formally registered to receive protection. Protection is automatic for copyrights, semiconductor topographies and know-how. Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. Belgium also recognizes the right to payment when a work is borrowed--as from a library.
Five years are archived for each country and the reports can be downloaded in pdf or html formats.
http://0-www.eiu.com.cardcatalog.piercelaw.edu/portal
