{"id":11023,"date":"2023-06-22T10:39:15","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T10:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/?page_id=11023"},"modified":"2023-10-02T05:29:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T05:29:23","slug":"patenting-an-invention","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What Inventions Can be Patented in the UK<\/h2>\n<p>Not all inventions or creations can, or will, be granted a patent. To qualify, ALL the following must apply:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It must be something that can be made or used<\/li>\n<li>The invention or creation must be &#8216;new&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>It must be &#8216;inventive&#8217; (e.g. a simple modification to something that already exists would not qualify)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some examples of patented items include cell phones and the artificial heart valve (first invented by Charles A. Hufnagel).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Patents can be expensive and difficult to acquire. It is wise to check whether a patent is suitable for your business before you apply for it (details below).<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Things that You Cannot Patent<\/h2>\n<p>There are certain types of invention that cannot be granted a patent in the United Kingdom. They include things like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Artistic, dramatic, literary, or musical works.<\/li>\n<li>A way to do business, play a game, or think.<\/li>\n<li>A method of medical diagnosis or treatment.<\/li>\n<li>A discovery, mathematical method, or scientific theory.<\/li>\n<li>Certain types of computer programs or mobile applications (apps).<\/li>\n<li>Certain kinds of &#8216;essential biological&#8217; processes (e.g. crossing-breeding plants).<\/li>\n<li>The way that information gets presented.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Before Applying for a Patent<\/h2>\n<p>Patenting your invention will be not be an easy form of protection to get for your business. That&#8217;s why you should always check if it will be right before applying.<\/p>\n<p>So, as a general rule you should only apply for a patent if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your invention is a new one (there are several <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/search-for-a-patent\/\">ways to search for a patent<\/a> to be certain yours is new).<\/li>\n<li>You will be able to invest the time, energy and the money needed to complete the application process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Having considered the basics of patenting your new invention, <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/registration\/\">if you decide to apply<\/a> you may find that the application process is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Complex: Only around 5% of the applicants who apply without professional help will get a patent.<\/li>\n<li>Lengthy: The patent process often takes up to five (5) years to complete.<\/li>\n<li>Expensive: Using professional help means the process is likely to cost around \u00a34,000.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: There are other things to consider&#8230; even if you get the patent. The owner would need to <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/renewing-a-patent\/\">renew a patent each year<\/a> to keep it valid. The cost of <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/defending-an-infringement\/\">defending an infringement<\/a> could be high if you need to take legal action.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"category-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"normal-content-one\">\n<h5>Alternative Ways of Protecting Intellectual Property<\/h5>\n<p>There may be other methods you can use to <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/\">protect your intellectual property<\/a>. For example, it may well be more appropriate for your particular business to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Apply to <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/trade-marks\/register-a-trade-mark\/\">register a trade mark<\/a> (when creating a brand and the first to market it).<\/li>\n<li>Use <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/design-rights\/\">design right<\/a> (if the way your product looks is important and innovative, as opposed to how it works).<\/li>\n<li>Use a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/non-disclosure-agreements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">non-disclosure agreement<\/a> (NDA) to keep the invention a secret while speaking to others about it (e.g. prior to its launch). Doing so may provide enough protection if you are likely to sell the product for only a short time.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\"normal-content\">\n<h5>Where to Get Free Help and Advice<\/h5>\n<p>There are several ways of getting help to determine whether a patent is going to be right for your business. For example, you might get free and confidential advice from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A professional Patent Attorney or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citma.org.uk\/find-a-chartered-trade-mark-attorney.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chartered Trade Mark Attorney<\/a> (basic advice is usually free of charge).<\/li>\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/uk-patlib-network\/uk-patlib-contact-information\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Patent Library Centre<\/a> based at several locations around the United Kingdom.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bl.uk\/business-and-ip-centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Business &amp; IP Centre<\/a> (The British Library in London).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>This part is important<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>You should keep the information on these <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/\">types of intellectual properties<\/a> a secret until they get registered. You can use a non-disclosure agreement, a patent attorney, or a solicitor if you need to discuss it with someone.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4>ALSO IN THIS SECTION<\/h4>\n<div class=\"category-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"list-content\">\n<h5>Applying for a Patent<\/h5>\n<p>Understanding <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/registration\/\">how to register a patent<\/a> is important if you decide to apply for patent protection. Further details in the section also explain:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Eight steps to follow during the application process<\/li>\n<li>Other ways to get a UK patent granted<\/li>\n<li>How to prepare the 4 parts needed for patent criteria<\/li>\n<li>How to complete a &#8216;statement of inventorship&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\"list-content\">\n<h5>Requesting a Search and Examination<\/h5>\n<p>There are strict rules on when and how to <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/search-and-examination\/\">request your search and examination<\/a>. You can also find extra information on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How the IPO check if an invention is new (substantive examination)<\/li>\n<li>Which documents to submit, when to file them, and where to send them<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"category-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"list-content\">\n<h5>After Applying for a Patent<\/h5>\n<p>There are several important actions to be aware of <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/after-applying\/\">after filing your patent application<\/a>. You may need to file more documents once the patent is pending.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"list-content\">\n<h5>International Patents<\/h5>\n<p>Patent protection of your invention only applies in the country where the patent is actually registered. Find out <a href=\"\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/after-applying\/\">how international patents work<\/a> and how to file a patent abroad to get international protection.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"updated-data\"><strong>Patenting an Invention or Creation in United Kingdom<\/strong><br \/>\n<time datetime=\"2022-01-01\">Last Updated 2022<\/time><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Inventions Can be Patented in the UK Not all inventions or creations can, or will, be granted a patent. To qualify, ALL the following must apply: It must be something that can be made or used The invention or creation must be &#8216;new&#8217; It must be &#8216;inventive&#8217; (e.g. a simple modification to something that&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2367,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom - UK Rules<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom - UK Rules\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What Inventions Can be Patented in the UK Not all inventions or creations can, or will, be granted a patent. To qualify, ALL the following must apply: It must be something that can be made or used The invention or creation must be &#8216;new&#8217; It must be &#8216;inventive&#8217; (e.g. a simple modification to something that&hellip; Continue reading How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UK Rules\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-02T05:29:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/\",\"name\":\"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom - UK Rules\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-22T10:39:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-02T05:29:23+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Alphabetical List of United Kingdom Rules and Regulations\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"UK Business Finance Rules and Regulations 2022 Overview\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Intellectual Property Law UK | Types of Protection for Your Work\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Patents Explained | UK Patent Rules and Regulations Guide\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"UK Rules\",\"description\":\"The UK Rules\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UK Rules\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/logo-white.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/logo-white.svg\",\"width\":191,\"height\":23,\"caption\":\"UK Rules\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom - UK Rules","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom - UK Rules","og_description":"What Inventions Can be Patented in the UK Not all inventions or creations can, or will, be granted a patent. To qualify, ALL the following must apply: It must be something that can be made or used The invention or creation must be &#8216;new&#8217; It must be &#8216;inventive&#8217; (e.g. a simple modification to something that&hellip; Continue reading How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom","og_url":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/","og_site_name":"UK Rules","article_modified_time":"2023-10-02T05:29:23+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/","url":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/","name":"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom - UK Rules","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-06-22T10:39:15+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-02T05:29:23+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/patenting-an-invention\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Alphabetical List of United Kingdom Rules and Regulations","item":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"UK Business Finance Rules and Regulations 2022 Overview","item":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Intellectual Property Law UK | Types of Protection for Your Work","item":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Patents Explained | UK Patent Rules and Regulations Guide","item":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/business\/intellectual-property\/patents\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"How to Patent Your Invention or Creation in United Kingdom"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/","name":"UK Rules","description":"The UK Rules","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#organization","name":"UK Rules","url":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/logo-white.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/logo-white.svg","width":191,"height":23,"caption":"UK Rules"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11023"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11023"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26799,"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11023\/revisions\/26799"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}