Patents

What is a patent?

A patent is a piece of registered intellectual property intended to protect technical innovation. It could be anything from a small improvement on an existing product, an improved method of manufacturing something, to a completely new solution to a problem. A granted patent provides its owner with the right to prevent third parties from making commercial use of the invention it covers for up to 20 years.

Is it sufficiently inventive?

We can work with you to make that decision. If an improvement or change provides (even a small) technical advantage, then patent protection becomes a real possibility. This could be an advantage to either you or your end customer, and it could be something like costs savings as a result of a new method of manufacture, for example.

The key question we need to explore is whether or not the financial benefit of pursuing patent protection is likely to outweigh the cost of actually securing a granted patent.

Is it sufficiently inventive?

We can work with you to make that decision. If an improvement or change provides (even a small) technical advantage (either to your end customer or to you, in terms of costs savings as a result of a new method of manufacture, for example), then patent protection becomes a real possibility, and a key question arises as to whether or not the financial benefit of pursuing patent protection is likely to outweigh the cost of actually securing a granted patent.

Interested in Finding Out More?

Our free guide is aimed at SMEs, sharing more details about what a patent is, how it can play a role in your business, and what the patent process looks like.

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Is it worth it?

Sometimes you may question whether or not what you see as a ‘small’ improvement over what has been done before is worthy of patent protection. But the real question should be “How important is it to my commercial goals?” Or even “Will this ‘small’ improvement make my product or service more attractive to my customer base than my nearest competitors’ offerings?” You could also question whether it will allow you to charge more for your product. If the answer to any of these points is “yes”, then it is certainly worth exploring whether or not a patent is the right solution to help to protect and expand your market share.

If you’re ready to find out more, let’s have a chat.

Book a FREE Consultation

What markets do patents cover?

Patents are territorial, so if you want patent protection in any country, then a patent application process needs to be undergone in that country. Whilst overseas patent protection can become costly, the costs can be made manageable and predictable with a streamlined and staggered filing strategy that matches your budget as well as your business goals.

One of the most important things to remember is that you must not disclose your invention to anyone, except in confidence, until after a UK patent application has been filed. That means if you need to talk to potential investors or manufacturers, as an example, always use an NDA, at least until after you have filed a UK patent application.

Overseas patent applications can be filed up to 12 months later. We can advise on strategies that can be implemented at that stage to try and balance cash flow with business needs and aspirations.

How can we help?

If you are:

An entrepreneur or business owner who has developed or designed something that you believe solves some problem in a technical sector
A business owner planning to use innovation to scale-up and expand your market share
An owner or manager of an established innovative business with an existing IP portfolio looking to streamline and simplify your IP strategy and management to fit in with your commercial goals

Then we can:

Find out if your invention is, in fact, novel by performing a patentability search. We will then explore whether or not you could obtain patent protection to protect your commercial advantage by enabling you to stop your competitors from being able to make commercial use of your innovation.
Support and guide you through the whole process of applying for patent protection in the UK and anywhere else worldwide.
Help you to manage any existing patents and patent applications you may have. We will ensure that they are properly matched to your commercial activity and properly protecting your commercial interests. We will also help you to streamline and simplify your IP management and strategy, to help save time and costs, whilst supporting you in building your IP portfolio along with your business.
Find out if something you want to do might infringe someone else’s patent rights, and provide advice.
Advise on third party commercial activity, and on possible infringement of your IP rights.

Book a FREE Consultation