Patenty ve sklářství

This master's thesis deals with the issue of patent protection in the Czech glass industry and its practical application. The thesis aims to determine the extent to which, and how effectively, Czech glassworks use patents to protect their technical creative activities and, based on the findings, to propose recommendations for more effective use of patent protection in the glass industry. The theoretical part of the thesis focuses on the legal protection of intellectual property, with an emphasis on industrial property rights. Particular attention is paid to patents, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks, and trade secrets. The thesis also provides a brief overview of the development of patent protection in the glass industry, the conditions for patentability of inventions, the patent granting procedure, and the main advantages and disadvantages of patent protection. The practical part is based on qualitative research using data, methodological, and time triangulation. Through the analysis of patent databases, professional and publicly available sources, as well as internal archival materials, the approaches of selected Czech glassworks to intellectual property protection are examined. The research focuses on Moser, a.s., Preciosa, a.s., and Crystalex CZ, s.r.o., which represent different approaches to the use of patent protection. The analysis shows that the extent of patent use differs significantly among the individual glassworks and is primarily related to the nature of production, the technological orientation of the company, and its approach to innovation. At the same time, it was found that, alongside patents, trademarks, industrial designs, utility models, and trade secrets also play an important role in the Czech glass industry. The thesis further highlights the decline in patent activity among all analysed companies in recent years and discusses the possible reasons for this development.