Whats the difference between a patent invention and a utility model?
A patent must show inventiveness, which is measured by the level of applied technology, and should involve a degree of creativity surpassing the prior art; practical applicability (i.e. can be mass-produced), and novelty. Utility models, however, are models of objects or parts of objects (appliances, instruments, tools, etc.) made for practical use, which, by means of a new shape or configuration or a new mechanism, increase or improve the handling of such objects. Utility models must be three-dimensional.
