Patents

Patents are a valuable business tool which enable the owner to stop competitors from making a product or using a process covered by the patent. A patent will provide a period of protection for a new invention to help maximise the return on investment in research and development. This can add significantly to the value of a business, which is why the world’s leading companies invest heavily in the development of patent portfolios.

Our patent attorneys work with some of the world’s leading companies to protect their innovations and help defend their market position in countries around the world.

 

How we can help

We work with, inventors, companies and other organisations through:

  • providing initial opinions on the patentability of an invention to help decide whether or not to proceed with filing a patent application;
  • drafting and filing patent applications to cover inventions;
  • obtaining patents through national and regional Patent Offices, including representing companies directly before the UK Intellectual Property Office, the German Patent Office and the European Patent Office, and working with trusted patent attorneys to obtain protection in other countries;
  • advising on international IP strategies if protection is required in more than one territory;
  • defending attacks on patents by competitors, including handling oppositions to grant filed by third parties in the European Patent Office;
  • advising on the potential infringement and validity of third party patents.

 

Before you launch a new product or begin using a new process, you should consider whether to apply for patent protection. We can advise on the likelihood of obtaining commercially useful patents, and will arrange for prior art searches to be carried out to help determine what can be protected.

 

In addition, we arrange for freedom-to-operate searches to see if your new product or process might infringe somebody else’s patent. We can advise on the available options if problematic patents are found.

 

We also provide a patent watching service, which allows you to keep an eye on other companies’ patent rights. This is an important element of an effective intellectual property strategy, and can provide an invaluable insight into the direction in which a competitor is heading with its technology.

 

In the event that a dispute arises with one of your competitors over the infringement of a patent, we can help with a range of dispute resolution techniques, including litigation if required.

 

Introduction of the Unified Patent Court in Europe

The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys has released a video explaining the upcoming changes to the patent system in Europe and the introduction of the United Patent Court on 1 June 2023.

 

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Our offices

London

+44 20 7831 7929

Bedford House, John Street, London, WC1N 2BF, United Kingdom

Leeds

+44 20 7831 7929

Suite 3.05, Platform, New Station Street, Leeds, LS1 4JB, United Kingdom

Exeter

+44 20 7831 7929

Generator Hub, The Gallery, Kings Wharf, The Quay, Exeter, EX2 4AN, United Kingdom

Munich

+49 89 5150 5800

Widenmayerstr. 10, D-80538 München, Germany