Our pages  ‘UK Patents - The Basics’ and ‘European Patents - The Basics’ set out in detail the various procedural steps involved in obtaining UK and...

Type (lump sum or instalments) and amount of compensation are determined by an agreement between the employer and employee. The calculation of a...

Often you may wish to tell other people about your invention, for example if you are trying to license or sell to a third party, to secure...

When a trade mark contains or consists of a logo, it is likely that there is copyright in the trade mark. If so, it is important that the trade mark...

Several Patent Offices operate a deferred patent examination system under which patent applications remain dormant until the applicant takes steps...

The German Patent Office operates a deferred patent examination system under which patent applications remain dormant until the applicant takes steps...

The European Union is a member of the Madrid Protocol and so the European Union can be designated in an International Registration so as to seek...

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For European patent applications filed since 2009, all available EPC “member states” are automatically...

Download flow chart - EP Early Stage Procedure & Paying Search Fees - Decision chart for action after issuance of a partial search report on a direct...

From 1st July 2004 the UK Intellectual Property Office has been requesting the results of official searches produced by other patent offices to be...

The importance of trade marks is being increasingly highlighted by the rapid growth in use of the Internet. This page explains the process and some...

Failure to disclose relevant information to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) can result in a patent becoming invalid and...

In November 2000, a conference was held to discuss possible amendments to the European Patent Convention (EPC). This was the first major review of...

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Find out more about our opposition services and why Mewburn Ellis is Europe's number...

Download Grant Procedure flow chart

This information is also available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean

When the European Patent Office (EPO) agrees...

Download flowchart - European Patents - The Basics

This is information is also available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean

What is a patent

A patent...

Download flowchart - European regional phase entry: Early Stage Procedure Where the EPO Acted as the ISA

Here we set out the early stage procedure...

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Under the European Union Trade Mark system, the proprietor of a European Union Trade...

The purpose of this downloadable questionnaire is to obtain some information regarding your use of your trade mark in the European Union (EU). We...

This information is available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

This is a summary of the main aspects of opposition proceedings before the European...

A European Union Trade Mark (EUTM)¹ is sometimes filed to consolidate existing EU national registrations. Details of the national rights can be...

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Amendments to the UK Patents Act which came into force on 1 October 2014 have extended the scope of the...

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The search report from the European Patent Office is accompanied by an opinion on the patent application and...

Understanding your company’s intellectual property (‘IP’) assets and, more importantly, how to protect them is an essential consideration for any...

In general, a patent application for an invention should be filed at the patent office before the invention has been disclosed to the public, because...

Some countries offer copyright protection to the design (i.e. the appearance) of industrial articles, such as household appliances, tools, electrical...

Download flowchart of the procedure - PCT Member States

There is no such thing as an "international patent." However, it is possible to file an...

The Hague Agreement is a system which enables design owners who belong to certain countries to apply centrally for designs for a number of states...

The aim of this page is merely to give a basic introduction to the concept of intellectual property licensing and to outline some of the points which...

Any person who invents patentable technology is by default entitled to the rights in any patent granted in respect of that technology. When filing a...

It is an underappreciated fact that virtually every business generates Intellectual Property (IP). Recognising that and identifying the IP generated...

The Intellectual Property (IP) owned by a company is often one of its key assets. Conversely, if a company does not have the freedom to run its...

Download Joint Applicants or Co-Owners of IP Form

Sometimes you may wish to apply for (or to own) an intellectual property right (e.g., patent,...

Our care of our clients' intellectual property portfolios does not stop at obtaining trade mark and design registrations and prosecuting patent...

This page explains the consequences of a UK patent before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and a German patent before the German Patent...

This page sets out the procedure under the Madrid Protocol after the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) has sent details of your registration...

The Madrid Protocol is an international system for obtaining trade mark protection in a number of countries and/or regions using a single...

In the UK, marking a product with details of a granted patent that has been obtained for that product may deter potential infringers from copying the...

To offer applicants a faster route to patent allowance, reduce patent office workloads and streamline procedure, many patent offices have looked into...

A patent watching search is a check made at frequent intervals through relevant Official Journals or computer databases for newly published granted...

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This page describes the current approach of the European Patent Office (EPO) concerning the patentability of...

If the EPO considers that the claims of a patent application relate to more than one invention (i.e. lack "unity of invention"), then the applicant...

This page deals with a very specific topic, namely filing a Chapter II Demand. For a more general discussion of PCT applications, and the PCT...

An “international” or “PCT” patent application covers all countries/regions which are party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) (“PCT Member...

A plant variety right is an intellectual property right for the exclusive exploitation of a named plant variety. As with other IP rights, plant...

Here we set out the early stage procedure for European patent applications filed directly at the EPO, including divisional applications.  We also set...

On 1 January 2011, new Rules 141 and 70b come into force at the EPO which require applicants to provide the EPO with a copy of the results of any...

You are no doubt aware of the need to keep an invention secret before a patent application is filed, but there are also circumstances where...

This information is available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

In the context of intellectual property, the "design" of a product is generally its...

It is possible to register UK national patents, European patents (UK) and UK registered designs in a number of other states and territories. This...

Our in-house renewal/annuity fee payment service. Our renewal fee department has over 30 years’ experience in paying renewal fees at the EPO, UKIPO,...

This page provides information on the rules governing the filing of patent applications outside the UK by United Kingdom residents, and our approach...

Computer software, more specifically the program code, is protected by copyright as a ""literary work"". There may also be other types of copyright...

Over 60 countries worldwide offer the possibility of extensions (PTEs or SPCs) for medicinal product patents. “Supplementary Protection Certificate”...

It is possible for the lifetime (“term”) of a US patent to be extended if the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) delays processing of...

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The London Agreement aims to reduce translation costs incurred after the grant of a European patent. ...

If you have intellectual property which generates profit for your company, you may be entitled to pay a much lower rate of corporation tax in the UK.

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The ‘Unitary Patent Package’ consists of:

• the EU Unitary Patent; and
• the Unified...

The ability to obtain European Union (EU) wide protection for designs, the broad definition of a design in the EU legislation and the fact that...

A trade mark watching search is a check made at frequent intervals through all available official journals covering trade marks, looking for the...

This page is intended as an introduction to the special considerations that apply in the licensing of brands or trade marks. Trade mark licensing can...

It is becoming increasingly important that registered trade marks  are used in order to maintain their validity and their ability to be enforced...

Download National v International v European Union Trade Mark Registrations Comparison Table

The European Union Trade Mark (EUTM)¹ and the Madrid...

If you have acquired or transferred intellectual property rights, e.g. patents, trade marks and/or designs, you should be aware that there are...

In the context of intellectual property, the “design” of a product is generally its shape, or ornamentation applied to it, although the exact...

Download process flow diagram

A patent is a legal right granted by the UK Intellectual Property Office for a new invention. It allows the owner of...

In the context of intellectual property, the "design" of a product is generally its shape or ornamentation applied to it, although the exact...

UK Stamp Duty on Transfers Executed on or after 16th March 1999 and before 28th March 2000

Stamp duty is no longer payable on documents executed...

The purpose of this downloadable questionnaire is to obtain some information regarding your use of your trade mark in the UK. We will then use this...

Before adopting a new trade mark or brand name, it is nearly always advisable to conduct some trade mark searching.  Indeed, it is often sensible to...

Outline of Normal UK Opposition Procedure*

Unless an extension is obtained, opposition must...

For hundreds of years, traders have put symbols or marks on their goods to indicate their origin. There have been cases in the UK involving trade...

In the USA and Canada, reduced official fees are payable for patent applications and patents if all parties holding rights in the invention qualify...

Federal trade mark registrations, which cover all of the United Sates, are granted by the United States Patent & Trademark  Office (USPTO). This...

Download flowchart of the procedure - Validity and Infringement Opinions

The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has a procedure to provide...

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The time period for responding to the Rule 161/162 communication (issued shortly after entry into the...

Recording a change of ownership on the EP register is not mandatory.  However, we do highly recommend recording such changes for the reasons outlined...