SpacePatents
Patent Protection of Space-Related Inventions and Space Technologies
In the absence of international space patent law, it is necessary to obtain patent protection on a national basis for space-related inventions, covering the subject matter to be protected in space, without violating the UN Outer Space Treaty when subsequently enforcing the patent.
The application of national patent law to space matters concerns two core aspects, namely the creation of an invention in space and the enforcement of national/regional patents in space. In particular, the question arises as to whether and to what extent a state may extend its national patent law into space. It is generally accepted that a state extends its national law to space objects that are registered in that state's space registry. Unfortunately, Germany lacks explicit statutory extension of patent rights to space objects registered in Germany.
Therefore, when drafting a patent application for the protection of inventions that are made or can be used in satellites, spacecraft, space stations, in space or on extraterrestrial bodies, the legal peculiarities of outer space must be taken into account. For example, it may be useful to formulate claims in a patent category that is directed to the protection of a product manufactured in space that must someday return to a patent-protected territory on Earth.
Dr. Schlimme has given a lecture on the subject of patent protection in space and has published several papers on this topic:
- Patentschutz im Weltraum - in German - (Mitteilungen deutscher Patentanwälte Heft 8/9 - 2014) [PDF]
- Weltraumgegenstände als Objekte eines nationalen Patentschutzes – Teil I - in German - (Mitt. 3 - 2020) [PDF]
- Weltraumgegenstände als Objekte eines nationalen Patentschutzes – Teil II - in German - (Mitt. 7/8 - 2020) [PDF]
- Space Related Patents – The Fourth Dimension of Patenting (ZLW 4 – 2022) [PDF]
Technical University of Munich (TUM) - Institute of Astronautics (LRT) Summer School 2014 – lecture on 29.09.2014:
