1. Anton Hutter European Patent Attorney Intellectual Property Rights
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success

2. Four types of IPR available
Copyright - © - artistic, literary, musical works
Trade Marks - ® - brand, logo, distinctive
Designs – 2D/3D appearance
Trade secrets - confidential information
Patents – technical inventions
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success

3. IPRs are not mutually exclusive
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success

4. Patents Protect technical inventions
A patent is an exclusive right allowing the owner to prevent third
parties from doing certain things in respect of the claimed invention:-
making
using
selling (offering to sell)
importing
keeping
Patents last for 20 years from filing
Patents are territorial
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success

5. Novelty Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success
Invention must be novel when the patent application is filed
Invention must not be “made available to the public”:-
in any way
in any language
at any time
anywhere
by anyone
Examples of public diclosures:-
Academic paper
Discussion with contemporaries (without NDA)
Presentation or poster at a conference
Publication of abstract on internet
Sale of a product
Non-confidential use of a product
PhD Thesis (if no embargo)
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success

6. Inventive Step Invention must not be obvious over the ‘prior art’
‘Prior art’ is everything that was in the public domain before the patent application was filed
Inventive step is arguable:-
Has an advantage?
Solves a technical problem?
Unexpected or surprising result?
Not obvious to try?
Overcoming a technical prejudice?
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success

7. Typical Filing Strategy
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success

8. Thank you for your attention !
Anton Hutter
BSc MSc PhD CPA EPA
Chartered & European Patent Attorney E:
Venner Shipley
The Surrey Technology Centre
The Surrey Research Park
40 Occam Road
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG
United Kingdom W:
Leicester’s Research Live – celebrating our success