Patents and Inventions
Patent Definition
A patent is an exclusive right granted to the creator of an invention. Broadly put, in order to acquire such protection an invention must be technical or functional by nature; it must be novel; it must contain an 'inventive step' and it must have an industrial use.
IP Patent protection requires understanding of the latest technologies and engineering, our Intellectual Property attorneys provide strategic protection. A patent will confer on the owner the right to prevent third parties using the invention without prior consent.
Once a patent registration is filed, it will be available to be viewed on the register. If a third party wishes to make use of the patented invention, it must enter into a commercial agreement with the proprietor of the patent.
Patents are territorial by nature, thus the protection of a UK patent will not have effect in, for example, Germany or Australia. If, therefore, the intended market for an invention is in a number of countries, it may make commercial sense to obtain separate patents for each country.
Certain international conventions are applicable in this context such as, for example, the European Patent Convention, which will allow for a single application to be made to the European Patent Office in respect of obtaining a single patent applicable to a number of countries (provided that they are signatories of the aforementioned agreement).
Our specialist Palmer Biggs Patents protection services include:
- Prior Art Searching
- Patent Filing
- Patent Registration
Palmer Biggs Patents hold great connections with many other patent attorneys worldwide, and PBP will prepare the drafting and filing of patent applications in the UK; through the European Patent Office and the World Intellectual Property Organisation.