In the news recently, we have been told that the UK is now out of recession. It sounds like good news, and of course it will be once the economy starts to settle down and, hopefully, grow. But investment in innovation still seems to be sluggish, and one wonders if...
The fifth of our FAQs series: What is involved in the patent process? The patent process in the UK (and most other countries) is relatively long (usually 3-4 years), and there are various deadline-driven stages and procedures that need to be followed. To the...
The fourth of our FAQs series: What is invention harvesting? When you’re trying to decide what might need protecting, start by thinking about what it is that will distinguish your business and/or product(s) from those of your nearest competitors. What features will...
The second of our FAQs series: Can patents play an essential role in business growth? I am often asked, what is patentable? Well, you could try reading the Patent Office guide to patentability in their Manual of Patent Practice, which is long, complicated and rather...
The first of our FAQs series: What is a patent? Can patents play an essential role in business growth? A patent can be a hugely powerful monopoly. Not only can it stop your competitors from doing the same, and protect your revenue stream, but it can also act as a...
A patent is a piece of intellectual property (IP) that protects technical innovation. If you have a patent for your product, process, system (or part of it), you can stop your competitors from doing the same for up to twenty years. What is the difference between...
