Inventing
An idea, an invention, a new product? Before you talk about it, protect it. The Passerelle explains the official steps, simply.
Do you have an idea for a product, a machine, a process or a new object? Before you talk about it to anyone, protect it. In France, it is simple and inexpensive to get started. Here are the official steps, explained without jargon.
For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026, based on the Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI, the French intellectual property office). For your own situation, ask INPI or a conseil en propriété industrielle (a qualified French IP attorney) for advice.
Rule number 1: show nothing until it is protected
The law is clear: an invention can only be patented if it is new. But anything made available to the public before filing, "by means of a written or oral description, by use, or in any other way", destroys this novelty (Article L611-11 of the Code de la propriété intellectuelle, the French Intellectual Property Code). A video on social media, a presentation at a trade fair, a message to a manufacturer: that is too early. If you need to talk about it with a partner, first have them sign a confidentiality agreement.
Ways to protect it, from the simplest to the strongest
| Tool | What it gives you | Duration | INPI fees (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| e-Soleau envelope | A proof of date: you will be able to show that you had the idea on that day. It is not a property right. | 5 years, can be extended 3 times (up to 20 years) | €15 (up to 50 MB) |
| Patent | The exclusive right to use the invention commercially in France. Conditions: novelty, inventive step, industrial application. | 20 years at most | Filing €26, search €520, grant €90, then a fee every year. Half price for an individual or an SME with fewer than 250 employees (ask for it when you file). |
| Utility certificate | A simpler form of protection, without a search for what already exists. | 10 years at most | Filing €26 (€13 at the reduced rate), then a fee every year |
| Design | Protects the appearance of a product (shape, pattern), not how it works. | 5 years, up to 25 years | €39 + €23 (black and white) or €47 (colour) per image |
Getting free help
INPI offers a prédiagnostic de propriété intellectuelle (a first review of your intellectual property), free and confidential, for entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs: an expert helps you choose what to protect and how. There is also financial help to pay for an IP attorney (check the INPI website).
What about Asia?
A French patent protects you only in France. After a first filing, you have 12 months (the right of priority) to extend protection abroad: a European patent, or an international application (PCT) that covers more than 150 countries, including China, Vietnam and Thailand. In China, a trade mark belongs to whoever registers it first: INPI advises registering it even before you start selling there. So before having your product made in Asia, remember to protect it first, then have the manufacturer sign a confidentiality agreement.
An example: HygieniX, invented by the founder of the Passerelle
Patrick Celli, founder of the Passerelle, spent fifteen years working in professional hygiene. He noticed that in a hospital, a laboratory or a kitchen, everyone knows they must wash their hands, but nobody can prove that it was done properly. He came up with HygieniX: a smart handwashing station that guides the user's movements, checks each step and keeps a record of it. Before talking about it, he started with an e-Soleau envelope. The project is in development and is looking for partners: hygienix.fr.
The Passerelle and inventors
An invention often needs a manufacturer, a component supplier or a first customer, in France or in Asia. Once your idea is protected, the Passerelle can help you find these partners, checked against the official register of their country: post a request. Never publish the technical details of your invention: only describe what you need ("manufacturer of injection-moulded plastic parts", for example).
Find out more
Sources (consulted on 1 November 2026): INPI, pages in French: "Proroger une e-Soleau" (extending an e-Soleau), "Critères de brevetabilité" (patentability criteria), "Certificat d'utilité" (utility certificate), "Prolonger la vie de ses dessins et modèles" (renewing your designs), "Étendre son brevet à l'étranger" (extending your patent abroad), "Prédiagnostic PI" (IP pre-diagnosis), schedule of fees applicable from 2 July 2026, "6 règles PI à connaître pour protéger son business en Chine" (six IP rules for protecting your business in China); Légifrance, Article L611-11 of the Code de la propriété intellectuelle; WIPO, list of PCT Contracting States. For information only: this information does not engage the liability of Passerelle France-Asie; only INPI is authoritative.