FTO Check

An FTO check looks at whether patents or other rights owned by someone else, and in force in the countries where you plan to make or sell a product, could stand in the way of that product. This free tool helps you scope that question. A full FTO review compares your actual product with specific rights.

Before the decisions that are expensive to undo: ordering tooling, a production run, a trade show, a crowdfunding campaign or a launch. The earlier it is done, the cheaper any design change is.

A patentability search asks whether your invention is new and could be patented. An FTO search asks whether someone else's rights cover your product in your markets. A product can be patentable and still need an FTO review, because the two questions look at different documents.

Only if it was validated in Croatia within three months of the publication of its grant. The EU unitary patent does not cover Croatia. Our guide on validating a European patent in Croatia explains the steps.

In some cases, yes. Under Croatian law a patent that lapsed because an annual fee was not paid can be restored in certain circumstances. That is one reason to recheck status close to launch.

It depends on how many products, how many markets, how complex the technology is and how quickly you need it. The free Cost Estimator gives a range in seconds.