Modified by article 118 of the PACTE Act, and in force since January 10, 2020, the duration of protection of utility models is extended to 10 years from 6 years (L. 611-2 2 ° of the Intellectual Property Code - IPC).
This duration is aligned with most of utility models life spans in Europe (Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, ...) or internationally (China, Japan, ...).
In addition, it is now possible, since January 11, 2020, to transform, under certain conditions and no later than 18 months after the filing date or the priority date, a utility model application into a patent application (L. 612 -15 IPC).
It is still possible to transform a patent application into an application for a utility model.
