

Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt
The
Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt (DPMA)
As the largest national patent office in Europe and the sixth largest worldwide, the DPMA is the central authority for industrial property protection in Germany. With its headquarters in Munich and locations in Jena and Berlin, the authority manages around 2,800 employees and looks back on almost 150 years of history – founded in 1877 as the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin[2][5].
Key Services
The DPMA examines and grants patents, registers trademarks, designs and utility models, and manages national and international property rights[1][4]. It also provides comprehensive property rights information, which serves as an innovation factor for companies, and promotes the digitalization of processes – for example, through fully electronic processing and tools such as DPMAdirektPro[2][4].
Mission and Values
The core mission is the effective protection of intellectual property as an engine for innovation[2][5]. The DPMA sees itself as a modern service provider that supports inventors, start-ups and companies with tailor-made property rights solutions. A particular focus is on transparent access to knowledge: public databases and free consulting initiatives such as the PIZnet-Aktionswoche (free property rights consulting for founders) strengthen practical relevance[^updates].
Employer Profile
The DPMA offers family-friendly working models with home office options, flexible hours, job sharing and special part-time arrangements for managers. The infrastructure includes parent-child offices, an in-house daycare center and health programs[5][^updates].
Current Priorities
– Digitalization: From 2025, mandatory use of electronic tools such as DPMAdirektPro for patent applications, abolition of outdated systems such as eOLF[^updates].
– Consulting services: Regular workshops and cooperation with patent information centers, for example on the strategic use of property rights for start-ups[^updates].
– Public relations: Events such as the 75th Munich anniversary and 130 years of trademark protection underline the historical roots[^updates].
Sustainability
The DPMA indirectly promotes sustainable management through legal certainty for innovations – for example in the field of green technologies. The authority itself relies on resource-saving electronic processes and reduced paper runtimes[2][4].
[^updates]: Current initiatives and updates from the social media information provided.
(Note: The number of characters is approx. 2,300 characters including formatting.)
Sources:
edit- 1 - https://www.dpma.de
- 2 - https://www.dpma.de/dpma/wir_ueber_uns/index.html
- 3 - https://www.service.bund.de/Content/DE/DEBehoerden/D/DPMA/Deutsches-Patent-und-Markenamt.html?nn=4641532
- 4 - https://www.fuer-gruender.de/wissen/unternehmen-gruenden/schutzrechte/dpma/
- 5 - https://www.xing.com/pages/dpma/about_us