Patent
Ireland is a member of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The deadline for entering the national phase via the PCT is 31 months. A simply signed power of attorney is required. There are two types of patent: short-term and long-term. The term of protection for a long-term patent is 20 years. Registration of a short-term patent is completed in as little as 12 months, and it is valid for 10 years. A short-term patent must meet certain conditions: it must not have more than 5 claims and must not clearly lack an inventive step. Its annuities are 50% of those of a long-term patent.
Utility Model
Utility model protection lasts 10 years. The requirements are the same as for patents.