“LG registered the Airtouch trademark and we filed a disagreement. After 24 months of proceedings, the company withdrew its application. A few months ago, Huawei did the same. We have just filed a disagreement,” says , founder of Luxembourg-based company iNUI Studio. The young Luxembourg company, (they work like a touch screen, except that the finger only has to come within a few centimetres of the screen, without touching it), had come to testify to the importance of protecting its intellectual property at a press conference on the subject held by the economy ministry. Christophe Bruckner, co-founder of TiQuest, who also took part in the press conference, praised the free Boost IP support programme run by the Intellectual Property Institute (IPIL). His startup digitises the hospitality sector, such as providing electronic menu and meal vouchers. Approximately 880 companies have participated since 2015.

A maximum amount of €2,250

“The protection of intellectual property rights is a key strategic factor for companies”, said economy minister (LSAP). “We invest a lot in public research. As far as private research is concerned, there is still work to be done.”

He recalled the existence of several national aid programmes for research, development and innovation, which can cover up to 50% of the costs of obtaining, validating and defending patents and other intangible assets, such as licences and know-how. The extension of a European aid scheme, the “SME Fund--ideas powered for business” was also announced. By applying for it, small and medium-sized enterprises can recover up to 75% of the filing fees for their trademarks, designs and models and 50% for their patents. The maximum amount is €2,250: €750 for patents, €1,500 for the rest.

Since its establishment in 2021, 53 companies have applied for assistance from this fund in Luxembourg, for a total of €22,950. It has been extended until 2024, with a total budget of €30m--€28m for trademarks and €2m for patents. It is supported by the European Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office.

To choose between national and European aid, Iris Depoulain, head of the Intellectual Property Office (OPI), advises turning to Luxinnovation.

In 2021, Luxembourg filers applied for 430 patents at the European Patent Office out of the 188,600 it registered in total. This represents an overall increase of 4.5% for all countries and 7% for the grand duchy. This makes it the 28th country in the ranking of the 50 largest applicants.

The government and IPIL invited interested companies to the 14th edition of the Luxembourg Intellectual Property Day, which will take place on 26 April at the Chamber of Commerce. The 2021 edition, which took place in a hybrid format, was attended by 154 participants.

This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.