Patenting Your Idea
We partner with a network of chartered attorneys to help you protect your ideas.
Gaining patent protection on your idea is a complex process but can often be crucial to the future success of your business venture. A UK patent is one of the most effective ways to protect an idea but is expensive. There are other forms of intellectual property protection as well for you to consider.
If patenting is the right option for you, read on to learn how to patent an idea.
UK Patent
How To Patent An Idea And Apply For A Patent
Step 1: Patentability Searching
Obtaining a worldwide patentability search is a sensible first s tep before drafting and filing a patent application and, can even be very useful in helping o guide the development process. This is principally because you will not be able to patent your idea if someone else has already patented (or tried to patent) the idea (just because it isn’t on the market does not necessarily mean someone else hasn’t thought of it before). Patent searching should always be performed by a licensed search company, as they use techniques, algorithms and databases that are not available to the general public for free. We can help with this, and if you would like to discuss having a patent search performed, please let us know.
Step 2: Developing your idea
It is important to define and, in most cases, start to develop the novel aspects of your idea. It is rarely possible to protect the overall concept, and it is essential to include in a patent application a detailed description of at least one way to realise the idea. The closer that description is to the product you actually plan to commercialise, the more likely it is that you will eventually secure patent protection that effectively covers that product. At D2M, we specialise in creating innovative, patentable solutions to design problems and we have a lot of experience working closely with IP firms to ensure that our clients’ products are properly protected.
Step 3: Drafting your patent application
Once you have defined and (at least partially) developed your idea, and you are satisfied that it is in fact unique (using the results of the patentability search), you can draft your patent specification. Drafting a patent specification is a very specialised task and is best done by a Chartered Patent Attorney (i.e. a member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, or CIPA, and regulated by the Intellectual Property Regulation Board – www.ipreg.org) who will ensure that this is done correctly for you. We can make a recommendation.
Why Patents Are Important
Deter other businesses from taking your ideas
You’ve worked hard to develop an idea and develop a concept. The last thing you want to happen is for a competitor to steal and use your ideas.
Patents give you legal protections that will deter businesses from taking your ideas and using them. Regardless of what type of business you run, you need to use the patent process to protect your assets.
Even if you don’t have a business but have an idea for a product or service, you still need to file for patent protection. If you’re looking for investments to help you develop, manufacture, or sell your product, investors often require proof of copyright protection before they invest in you.
A patent must represent either a new product or service or represent a change in the operation, construction, or design of a product. The change cannot be an obvious extension of a preexisting product.
Your idea must have real-world practicality and be specific. You shouldn’t be vague when applying for a patent.
Why not get in touch to discuss your project?
If you are looking for a UK based product design company, then get in touch with us today. We look forward to helping you design, prototype and launch your new product.
Other Intellectual Property options
If it is not possible to obtain a patent or if you want further ways to protect your idea, there are other options to protect your intellectual property (IP)
Registered Design
A registered design can protect the overall appearance of your invention. It is solely about the form and materials and does not cover how the product works. Design Registration is a relatively cheap, quick and easy process compared to patenting and you can get a Registered Community Design that protects your idea across Europe for under £300.
Trademarks
Trademarks are symbols that distinguish goods and services in the market place like logos and brand names. If your product has a certain name or logo that you want associated with it, it’s worth getting a trademark so that no one else can take the name and logo.
Copyright
Copyright is an automatic right, which applies when the work is fixed – in other words, when it is created or written down. It covers the printed documents, text, journalistic and literary works, images, music and video recordings. It has limited applicability to products but offers some protection of your work.
Now that you know how to patent an idea, you can see how professional help could benefit you. We work with Chartered Patent Attorneys that will take you through this essential step. They will work with you to evaluate your patent, do research to make sure that your idea is original, and work with you to create innovative and patentable solutions to design problems.
We also work with Chartered Patent Attorneys and will assist you throughout this essential step. We’re with you every step of the way to help you avoid any problems during the process.
D2M partners with Chartered Patent and Trademark Attorneys.
Call us on 01242 787996 or email us on info@design2market.co.uk
Protect your Idea without spending a fortune
All the secrets, tips and tricks to Patents, Registered Designs, Trademarks and Copyright.
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What our clients say
Phil and D2M are the best at what they do and I would highly recommend working with them if you are looking for a product design company. From the beginning, Phil's passion and expertise came through when deciding on a partner.
D2M is a great company to work with and one we would recommend for any new product development. One quality we have been impressed with is their minimum viable product approach. Looking forward to working on our next project with them.
We engaged Phil and the D2M team to help us fabricate a prototype for our product on an extremely tight timeline. We would thoroughly recommend them to anyone who needs to take their product from idea to prototype!
D2M were and still are a massive help to me. They are full of knowledge of the industry and helped bring my idea to physical product. They re-designed, refined and have thoroughly tested my idea to create something that is functional, aesthetic and realistic to manufacture.
Genius Alert!!! Phil is one of the best start-up consultants you find out there. In contrast to all other start-up consultants you will encounter, Phil has first-hand experience of what it means to raise start-up funding, build the team and navigate the highs and lows of the start-ups.
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