Oficina española de Patentes y Marcas

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What are the differences between industrial and intellectual property in Spain?

In Spain, industrial property protects all creations related to industry: patents and utility models, distinctive signs and designs.

In contrast, intellectual property is reserved for protecting creations of the mind in which the author's personality is captured, and that are unique creations, not industrially manufactured or mass-produced.

These creations can be literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and theatre plays, films, musical works, artworks, drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures or architectural designs, as well as rules for games and computer programs.

For each one there are different laws and the authorities responsible for their management are also different: the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office deals with the recognition of industrial property rights and the Intellectual Property Registry deals with intellectual property rights.

The organisation and addresses of the Intellectual Property Registry can be found here.

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