16,374 patents are currently registered with the keyword ‘Cosmetics’ in the INPI (French National Institute of Industrial Property) database. They relate to actives, compositions, applicators, devices, or even parts of packaging. But what use are they for a company’s competitors? Why is patent intelligence easy to set up, and what for? The topic was reviewed at a series of conferences during the last PCD show – here is our report.
The sector is so extensively impacted by registered packaging innovations and the solutions to constraints they offer that the theme of patent intelligence could not be overlooked at the PCD trade show (Packaging of Perfume, Cosmetics and Design) last February 4-5 in Paris. Three speakers took turn at a series of conferences on this matter: Benoît Lejeune, Packaging Patents Manager, Chanel Parfums Beauté, authorized representative of the European Patents Office, registered on the INPI Special List, special area: patents ; Bernard Clerget, Intellectual Property and Innovation Manager, Albea, and Yann de Kermadec in charge of innovation, Bernard Julhiet Group.
What is a patent?
Benoît Lejeune started his presentation with a reminder of the definition of a patent: ‘
A patent is a property title which gives its applicant/inventor the possibility to use an invention on an exclusive basis for a maximum period of 20 years.’
However, in compensation for these exclusive rights, ‘
the applicant must make the object of his invention available to the whole community for the public to have access to the information discovered, which in turn stimulates innovation and contributes to the global economic growth.’
Two steps for a patent application
First step: submitting the application …
