Patent Attorneys
How can I protect my invention?
Our patent attorneys can help you protect your ideas and innovations. A patent is an intellectual property right that protects how an invention works. You can use a patent to stop others from making, selling, using or importing something that works in the same way. You can also use a patent to generate income if you are happy to grant licences to allow others to use your invention.
A patent can last for up to twenty years from the filing date and can therefore provide you with a real commercial advantage over competitors in your industry.
To obtain a patent, you will need to file a patent application which must include a full description of how your invention works, drawings to illustrate the invention and a set of claims which define the scope of legal protection you require. Our UK patent attorneys are experienced in the drafting and prosecution of applications for patent protection.
The UK Intellectual Property Office will then examine your application, including carrying out a search to look for similar inventions and if it is satisfied that your invention is new and inventive it will grant you a patent. If your patent application receives official objections because the patent examiner believes your invention is not novel nor inventive, our UK patent attorneys are experienced in preparing arguments to overcome such objections. However, it is sensible to undertake a legal ‘prior art’ search prior to filing any patent application in the UK.
How can we help you with Patents?
Acting for clients around the UK, Europe and internationally, our UK patent attorneys can help secure a patent for your invention.
Before preparing and filing a patent application, it is necessary to assess whether your invention satisfies the legal criteria for obtaining a patent. Below are some factors that you will need to consider:
- Is the innovation ‘new’ and as yet undisclosed to the public?
- To be an invention you should know how it will work
- The invention must also be ‘capable of industrial application’
- Your invention must not be obvious to a person skilled in the particular field, although a commercially valuable improvement can be capable of protection
- Some types of innovation are not considered to be inventions which would otherwise attract patent protection
- A patent search undertaken by our UK patent attorneys ensures your innovation is not already known making a patent application viable
- A patent search helps our patent lawyers in drafting the patent specification
- A patent application ‘plants the flag’ for any future applications anywhere in the world and gives you a ‘patent pending’ status, particularly if the success of your business depends on a new product or a new service
We regularly meet with entrepreneurs and inventors to understand their innovations and to determine whether they are capable of attracting legal protection in the UK, Europe or internationally.
To speak to one of our expert UK patent attorneys about your invention, contact us by calling 0131 478 4724 or complete an Online Enquiry
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