Patents - the basics
A patent gives you legal protection for an "invention", usually a new or improved product or process. It gives you the right to stop others from copying your invention without your consent - such people are said to "infringe" the patent.
When you apply for a patent, you enter into a deal with the government. They grant you a 20 year monopoly in your invention. In return, you have to disclose that invention so that when your monopoly expires, others can benefit from your good ideas. That way, supposedly, technology progresses for the greater good.
The scope of the monopoly is determined by the patent's "claims". These define the essential ideas which underlie the protected invention.
Where we come in
At Greaves Brewster LLP we can help you to apply for, and obtain, a patent for your invention. We can prepare your patent application, including the crucial patent claims, and liaise with the UK Intellectual Property Office (formerly the Patent Office) on your behalf to persuade them to accept the application and grant you a patent.
Even before that, we will advise on whether an invention is patentable or whether other forms of protection - a design registration, for instance - might be more appropriate. Once you have a granted patent, we can help you to maintain and exploit it, and if necessary to enforce it against infringers. We can also help out if you find yourself up against someone else's patent.
