International Design Registration - The Hague Agreement The Hague Agreement is a system which enables design owners who belong to certain countries to apply centrally for designs for a number of states and/or intergovernmental organizations (in ...
Getting a patent – the initial steps The legal landscape around obtaining and using patent protection is complex, so it can be difficult to know how to go about getting a patent. Whilst legal advice is available, the cost of ...
Why Record Changes of Ownership at the EPO? Recording a change of ownership on the EP register is not mandatory. However, we do highly recommend recording such changes for the reasons outlined below.
Third Party Observations explained Third Party Observations (TPOs) provide a mechanism for third parties to file objections and evidence against a pending patent application which, if successful, can result in limitation or ...
Grace Periods for Disclosure of a Design before Applying for a Registered Design Right In general, an application for an industrial design or design patent should be filed at the relevant intellectual property office before the design has been disclosed or marketed to the ...
Legal Services & Dispute Resolution Our care of our clients' intellectual property portfolios does not stop at obtaining trade mark and design registrations and prosecuting patent applications.
Compensation of Inventors According to the Principles of the German Compensation Guidelines Type (lump sum or instalments) and amount of compensation are determined by an agreement between the employer and employee. The calculation of a suitable compensation is a very complex ...
UK Trade Mark Opposition Procedure Download Potential Opposition Against UK TM Application Outline of Normal UK Opposition Procedure* Unless an extension is obtained, opposition must be filed at the UK Intellectual Property ...
Deferred Patent Examination System - Germany The German Patent Office operates a deferred patent examination system under which patent applications remain dormant until the applicant takes steps to initiate the examination procedure.
Deferred Patent Examination System Several Patent Offices operate a deferred patent examination system under which patent applications remain dormant until the applicant takes steps for the application to be examined. A ...
Direct European Patent Applications: Early Stage Procedure and Paying Search Fees Download flow chart - EP Early Stage Procedure & Paying Search Fees - Decision chart for action after issuance of a partial search report on a direct European patent application Here we ...
Domain names The importance of trade marks is being increasingly highlighted by the rapid growth in use of the Internet. This page explains the process and some issues that you may encounter in choosing ...
Designation, Extension and Validation States for European Patent Applications This information is available in Korean. For European patent applications filed since 2009, all available EPC “member states” are automatically included (“designated”) by payment of one ...
UK Trade Mark Clearance Searches Before adopting a new trade mark or brand name, it is nearly always advisable to conduct some trade mark searching. Indeed, it is often sensible to include this searching process as part of ...
Marking of Patented Products in the UK In the UK, marking a product with details of a granted patent that has been obtained for that product may deter potential infringers from copying the product and may further improve the ...
Terms of business This page sets out some of the obligations that we have to you and that you have to us. Following receipt of a copy of this sheet we will assume that you are content to accept the terms set ...
Trade Marks: Licensing This page is intended as an introduction to the special considerations that apply in the licensing of brands or trade marks. Trade mark licensing can take many forms, and is often one ...
Genuine use of trade marks It is becoming increasingly important that registered trade marks are used in order to maintain their validity and their ability to be enforced against third parties.
UK Stamp Duty on Transfers UK Stamp Duty on Transfers Executed on or after 16th March 1999 and before 28th March 2000 Stamp duty is no longer payable on documents executed after 28 March 2000, however it is payable ...
Renewal fee payment service Our in-house renewal/annuity fee payment service. Our renewal fee department has over 30 years’ experience in paying renewal fees at the EPO, UKIPO, USPTO and other foreign intellectual ...
The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court explained This information is available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean. The ‘Unitary Patent Package’ consists of:
European regional phase entry: Early Stage Procedure Where the EPO Acted as the ISA Download flowchart - European regional phase entry: Early Stage Procedure Where the EPO Acted as the ISA
Prosecution of Direct European Patent Applications Here we set out the early stage procedure for European patent applications filed directly at the EPO, including divisional applications. We also set out the practical consequences of this ...
European regional phase entry - Early Stage Procedure - EPO is not ISA Download flowchart - European regional phase entry - Early Stage Procedure - EPO is NOT ISA
Publicising Inventions You are no doubt aware of the need to keep an invention secret before a patent application is filed, but there are also circumstances where disclosures relating to your invention made after ...
The Patent Box If you have intellectual property which generates profit for your company, you may be entitled to pay a much lower rate of corporation tax in the UK.
EUTM Seniority Once an European Union Trade Mark (EUTM)1 is filed it can be used to consolidate existing national registrations in EU member states. Details of the national rights can be recorded on the ...
Frequently asked questions Understanding your company’s intellectual property (‘IP’) assets and, more importantly, how to protect them is an essential consideration for any business - from new start-ups to ...
Waiving Rule 161 and 162 Communications at the EPO This information is available in Korean. The time period for responding to the Rule 161/162 communication (issued shortly after entry into the European regional phase) is six months. In ...
Patentability of Software and Business Method Inventions in Europe This information is available in Korean. This page describes the current approach of the European Patent Office (EPO) concerning the patentability of software and business method inventions ...
US Trade Marks - The Basics Federal trade mark registrations, which cover all of the United Sates, are granted by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). This sheet briefly explains that system. It is ...
Copyright in Trade Marks When a trade mark contains or consists of a logo, it is likely that the logo will amount to an artistic work for the purposes of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and as a result, ...
Industrial Copyright Some countries offer copyright protection to the design (i.e. the appearance) of industrial articles, such as household appliances, tools, electrical and electronic goods, footwear, etc, ...
Software Copyright Computer software, more specifically the program code, is protected by copyright as a ""literary work"". There may also be other types of copyright work associated with some computer ...
IP Due Diligence The Intellectual Property (IP) owned by a company is often one of its key assets. Conversely, if a company does not have the freedom to run its business due to third party IP rights, this ...
Trade Mark or Design? The ability to obtain European Union (EU) wide protection for designs, the broad definition of a design in the EU legislation and the fact that protection is not limited to a given type of ...
EUTM Evidence of Use The purpose of this downloadable questionnaire is to obtain some information regarding your use of your trade mark in the European Union (EU). We will then use this information to compile a ...
Designation of the EU via the Madrid Protocol The European Union is a member of the Madrid Protocol and so the European Union can be designated in an International Registration so as to seek unitary trade mark protection for all the ...
Trade Marks: What Route to Protection? Download National v International v European Union Trade Mark Registrations Comparison Table The European Union Trade Mark (EUTM)1 and the Madrid System (International Registration), and ...
UK Trade Mark Applications - Evidence of Use The purpose of this downloadable questionnaire is to obtain some information regarding your use of your trade mark in the UK. We will then use this information to compile a declaration for ...
Grace Periods for Disclosure of an Invention before Applying for a Patent In general, a patent application for an invention should be filed at the patent office before the invention has been disclosed to the public, because otherwise the disclosure of the ...
Introduction to Technology Licensing The aim of this page is merely to give a basic introduction to the concept of intellectual property licensing and to outline some of the points which may need to be considered when granting ...
Transfer of IP If you have acquired or transferred intellectual property rights, e.g. patents, trade marks and/or designs, you should be aware that there are various registers in which the proprietor(s) ...
Confidentiality Often you may wish to tell other people about your invention, for example if you are trying to license or sell to a third party, to secure investments or to find a manufacturer. These are ...
Trade Mark Watching Searches A trade mark watching search is a check made at frequent intervals through all available official journals covering trade marks, looking for the publication of marks the same as, or similar ...
Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) It is possible for the lifetime (“term”) of a US patent to be extended if the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) delays processing of the application. However, any extension ...
Joint Applicants or Co-owners of IP Sometimes you may wish to apply for (or to own) an intellectual property right (e.g., patent, registered trade mark or registered design) together with one or more people. This is perfectly ...
The London Agreement This information is available in Korean. The London Agreement aims to reduce translation costs incurred after the grant of a European patent. It entered into force on 1 May 2008. It applies ...
EPC 2000 In November 2000, a conference was held to discuss possible amendments to the European Patent Convention (EPC). This was the first major review of the EPC since it was concluded in 1973, ...
Validity & infringement opinions from the UKIPO Download flowchart of the procedure - Validity and Infringement Opinions The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has a procedure to provide independent, non-binding opinions on ...
Plant Variety Rights and Patents for Plant-Related Inventions A plant variety right is an intellectual property right for the exclusive exploitation of a named plant variety. As with other IP rights, plant variety rights are intended to promote and ...
Providing Search Results to the EPO On 1 January 2011, new Rules 141 and 70b come into force at the EPO which require applicants to provide the EPO with a copy of the results of any search carried out in respect of an earlier ...
EPO Oppositions This information is available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Find out more about our opposition services and why Mewburn Ellis is Europe's number one choice. You can also find out about ...
Duty of Disclosure Failure to disclose relevant information to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) can result in a patent becoming invalid and unenforceable.
US & Canadian Patents: Small Entity Status In the USA and Canada, reduced official fees are payable for patent applications and patents if all parties holding rights in the invention qualify for small entity status. However, for ...
IP Audits It is an underappreciated fact that virtually every business generates Intellectual Property (IP). Recognising that and identifying the IP generated are important first steps on the path ...
Oral Proceedings This information is available in Korean. “Oral proceedings” refers to a hearing at which one or more parties to proceedings before the EPO present their case orally before the EPO. Oral ...
European Grant Procedure Download Grant Procedure flow chart This information is also available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean
Extended European Search Reports This information is available in Korean. The search report from the European Patent Office is accompanied by an opinion on the patent application and the invention. The combination of the ...
Paying Additional Search fees at the EPO - Direct European Patent Applications If the EPO considers that the claims of a patent application relate to more than one invention (i.e. lack "unity of invention"), then the applicant initially receives only a partial ...
Registration of UK Patents & Designs It is possible to register UK national patents, European patents (UK) and UK registered designs in a number of other states and territories. This page lists the states and territories in ...
UK & EU Unregistered Designs - The Basics In the context of intellectual property, the “design” of a product is generally its shape, or ornamentation applied to it, although the exact definition varies between different types of ...
Registered Community Designs - The Basics This information is available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.
PCT Member States An “international” or “PCT” patent application covers all countries/regions which are party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) (“PCT Member States”) on the day the PCT application is ...
PCT Applications - Chapter II Demand This page deals with a very specific topic, namely filing a Chapter II Demand. For a more general discussion of PCT applications, and the PCT process, please refer to our information sheet ...
Patent Prosecution Highway To offer applicants a faster route to patent allowance, reduce patent office workloads and streamline procedure, many patent offices have looked into ways of ‘sharing’ their work. The ...
Experimental Use Exemption in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industries This information is available in Korean. Amendments to the UK Patents Act which came into force on 1 October 2014 have extended the scope of the so-called ‘Bolar’ exemption from patent ...
Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) & Patent Term Extensions (PTEs) Over 60 countries worldwide offer the possibility of extensions (PTEs or SPCs) for medicinal product patents. “Supplementary Protection Certificate” (SPC) is the name given to such an ...
Patent Watching Searches A patent watching search is a check made at frequent intervals through relevant Official Journals or computer databases for newly published granted patents or pending patent applications ...
Restrictions on the Filing of Patent Applications Abroad by United Kingdom Residents This page provides information on the rules governing the filing of patent applications outside the UK by United Kingdom residents, and our approach to such applications.
Inventorship and Ownership Any person who invents patentable technology is by default entitled to the rights in any patent granted in respect of that technology. When filing a patent application, it is therefore ...
Accelerated Prosecution Our pages ‘UK Patents - The Basics’ and ‘European Patents - The Basics’ set out in detail the various procedural steps involved in obtaining UK and European patents, along with the likely ...
Licence of Right This page explains the consequences of a UK patent before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and a German patent before the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), (whether ...
UK Registered Designs - The Basics In the context of intellectual property, the "design" of a product is generally its shape or ornamentation applied to it, although the exact definition varies between different types of ...
Madrid System - The Basics The Madrid System is an international system for obtaining trade mark protection in a number of countries and/or regions using a single application. Protection (an "International ...
European Union Trade Marks - The Basics This information is available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.
UK Trade Marks - The Basics For hundreds of years, traders have put symbols or marks on their goods to indicate their origin. There have been cases in the UK involving trade marks for centuries, which can be traced as ...
International (PCT) Patent Applications - The Basics Download flowchart of the procedure - PCT Member States There is no such thing as an "international patent." However, it is possible to file an "international patent application" (also ...
European Patents - The Basics Download flowchart - European Patents - The Basics This is information is also available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean
UK Patents - The Basics Download process flow diagram A UK patent is a legal right granted by the UK Intellectual Property Office for a new invention. It allows the owner of the patent (the patentee) to take legal ...