Are you an innovator or have some novel idea and want legal protection? UK Intellectual Property Office grants a patent for an innovation or an idea. Patents give inventors (the patentee) the legal right to sue anyone who uses their idea without their consent for up to 20 years.
WHAT CAN BE PATENTED
An invention or a creative concept must meet three requirements to be eligible for a patent, according to a patent examiner:
• It must be new, i.e., not publicly available in any publications
• It must be inventive, i.e., not the obvious result of an already existing invention.
• It must have a technical process and an industrial application.
HOW TO GET PATENTED
If the above criteria are met and you decide to proceed with patent registration, then it is advisable to consult an IP attorney owing to its requirement of detailed-oriented technical data. The following steps are involved in registering your patent.
• APPLICATION FILING. The first step you need to take is preparing detailed documents that describe your invention and filing it along with a patent registration form with UKIPO. It includes
o your details such as name and address;
o a detailed description of the invention – preferably with designs;
o a submission for a patent.
• SEARCH. Next, ask IPO to do its evaluation of your invention’s novelty and inventiveness. If the search report is not favourable, you may withdraw the application before it is published in order to re-draft and correct the faults.
• PUBLICATION. If the search report is favourable, then 18 months after filing, the application will be made public and accessible to the general public. A certificate will be granted.
• SUBSTANTIVE EXAMINATION. At this stage, the IPO thoroughly examines the invention to decide if your patent is eligible to be patented. It could take approximately 4 years.
Calculate the price of a patent registration using our online trademark fee calculator price tool.
