Our pages ‘UK Patents - The Basics’ and ‘European Patents - The Basics’ set out in detail the various procedural steps involved in obtaining UK and...
Compensation of Inventors According to the Principles of the German Compensation Guidelines
Type (lump sum or instalments) and amount of compensation are determined by an agreement between the employer and employee. The calculation of a...
Confidentiality
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...
Copyright in Trade Marks
When a trade mark contains or consists of a logo, it is likely that the logo will amount to an artistic work for the purposes of the Copyright,...
Deferred Patent Examination System
Several Patent Offices operate a deferred patent examination system under which patent applications remain dormant until the applicant takes steps...
Deferred Patent Examination System - Germany
The German Patent Office operates a deferred patent examination system under which patent applications remain dormant until the applicant takes steps...
Designation of the EU via the Madrid Protocol
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...
Designation, Extension and Validation States for European Patent Applications
This information is available in Korean.
For European patent applications filed since 2009, all available EPC “member states” are automatically...
Domain names
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...
Duty of Disclosure
Failure to disclose relevant information to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) can result in a patent becoming invalid and...
EPC 2000
In November 2000, a conference was held to discuss possible amendments to the European Patent Convention (EPC). This was the first major review of...
EPO Oppositions
Find out more about our opposition services and why Mewburn Ellis is Europe's number one choice. You can also find out about the Most Opposed Patents...
European Grant Procedure
Download Grant Procedure flow chart
This information is also available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean
When the European Patent Office (EPO) agrees...
European Patents - The Basics
Download flowchart - European Patents - The Basics
This is information is also available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean
What is a patent
A patent...
EUTM Evidence of Use
The purpose of this downloadable questionnaire is to obtain some information regarding your use of your trade mark in the European Union (EU). We...
EUTM Seniority
Once an European Union Trade Mark (EUTM)1 is filed it can be used to consolidate existing national registrations in EU member states. Details of the...
Experimental Use Exemption in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industries
This information is available in Korean.
Amendments to the UK Patents Act which came into force on 1 October 2014 have extended the scope of the...
Extended European Search Reports
This information is available in Korean.
The search report from the European Patent Office is accompanied by an opinion on the patent application and...
Frequently asked questions
Understanding your company’s intellectual property (‘IP’) assets and, more importantly, how to protect them is an essential consideration for any...
Getting a patent – the initial steps
The legal landscape around obtaining and using patent protection is complex, so it can be difficult to know how to go about getting a patent. Whilst...
Grace Periods for Disclosure of an Invention before Applying for a Patent
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...
Industrial Copyright
Some countries offer copyright protection to the design (i.e. the appearance) of industrial articles, such as household appliances, tools, electrical...
International (PCT) Patent Applications - The Basics
Download flowchart of the procedure - PCT Member States
There is no such thing as an "international patent." However, it is possible to file an...
International Design Registration - The Hague Agreement
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...
Introduction to Technology Licensing
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...
Inventorship and Ownership
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...
IP Audits
It is an underappreciated fact that virtually every business generates Intellectual Property (IP). Recognising that and identifying the IP generated...
IP Due Diligence
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...
Joint Applicants or Co-owners of IP
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,...
Legal Services & Dispute Resolution
Our care of our clients' intellectual property portfolios does not stop at obtaining trade mark and design registrations and prosecuting patent...
Licences of Right
This page explains the consequences of a UK patent before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and a German patent before the German Patent...
Madrid Protocol - Procedure after Registration
This page sets out the procedure under the Madrid Protocol after the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) has sent details of your registration...
Madrid Protocol - The Basics
The Madrid Protocol is an international system for obtaining trade mark protection in a number of countries and/or regions using a single...
Marking of Patented Products in the UK
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...
Patent Prosecution Highway
To offer applicants a faster route to patent allowance, reduce patent office workloads and streamline procedure, many patent offices have looked into...
Patent Term Adjustment (PTA)
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...
Patent Watching Searches
A patent watching search is a check made at frequent intervals through relevant Official Journals or computer databases for newly published granted...
Patentability of Software and Business Method Inventions in Europe
This information is available in Korean.
This page describes the current approach of the European Patent Office (EPO) concerning the patentability of...
Paying Additional Search fees at the EPO - Direct European Patent Applications
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...
PCT Applications - Chapter II Demand
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...
PCT Member States
An “international” or “PCT” patent application covers all countries/regions which are party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) (“PCT Member...
Plant Variety Rights and Patents for Plant-Related Inventions
A plant variety right is an intellectual property right for the exclusive exploitation of a named plant variety. As with other IP rights, plant...
Prosecution of Direct European Patent Applications
Here we set out the early stage procedure for European patent applications filed directly at the EPO, including divisional applications. We also set...
Providing Search Results to the EPO
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...
Publicising Inventions
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...
Registration of UK Patents & Designs
It is possible to register UK national patents, European patents (UK) and UK registered designs in a number of other states and territories. This...
Renewal fee payment service
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,...
Restrictions on the Filing of Patent Applications Abroad by United Kingdom Residents
This page provides information on the rules governing the filing of patent applications outside the UK by United Kingdom residents, and our approach...
Search Reports - EUIPO
It is becoming increasingly important that registered trade marks are used in order to maintain their validity and their ability to be enforced...
Software Copyright
Computer software, more specifically the program code, is protected by copyright as a ""literary work"". There may also be other types of copyright...
Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) & Patent Term Extensions (PTEs)
Over 60 countries worldwide offer the possibility of extensions (PTEs or SPCs) for medicinal product patents. “Supplementary Protection Certificate”...
The London Agreement
This information is available in Korean.
The London Agreement aims to reduce translation costs incurred after the grant of a European patent. It...
The Patent Box
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.
Trade Mark or Design?
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...
Trade Mark Watching Searches
A trade mark watching search is a check made at frequent intervals through all available official journals covering trade marks, looking for the...
Trade Marks: Licensing
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...
Trade Marks: What Route to Protection?
Download National v International v European Union Trade Mark Registrations Comparison Table
The European Union Trade Mark (EUTM)1 and the Madrid...
Transfer of IP
If you have acquired or transferred intellectual property rights, e.g. patents, trade marks and/or designs, you should be aware that there are...
UK & EU Unregistered Designs - The Basics
In the context of intellectual property, the “design” of a product is generally its shape, or ornamentation applied to it, although the exact...
UK Patents - The Basics
A patent is a legal right granted by the UK Intellectual Property Office for a new invention. It allows the owner of...
UK Registered Designs - The Basics
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
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...
UK Trade Mark Applications - Evidence of Use
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...
UK Trade Mark Clearance Searches
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...
UK Trade Mark Opposition Procedure
Outline of Normal UK Opposition Procedure*
Unless an extension is obtained, opposition must...
UK Trade Marks - The Basics
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...
US & Canadian Patents: Small Entity Status
In the USA and Canada, reduced official fees are payable for patent applications and patents if all parties holding rights in the invention qualify...
US Trade Marks - The Basics
Federal trade mark registrations, which cover all of the United Sates, are granted by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). This sheet...
Validity & infringement opinions from the UKIPO
Download flowchart of the procedure - Validity and Infringement Opinions
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has a procedure to provide...
Waiving Rule 161 and 162 Communications at the EPO
This information is available in Korean.
The time period for responding to the Rule 161/162 communication (issued shortly after entry into the...
Why Record Changes of Ownership at the EPO?
Recording a change of ownership on the EP register is not mandatory. However, we do highly recommend recording such changes for the reasons outlined...
News & Insights
Read our blogs to keep up to date with developments in the IP world and what we are up to at Mewburn Ellis.
Contact Us
We have an easily-accessible office in central London, as well as a number of regional offices throughout the UK and an office in Munich, Germany. We’d love to hear from you, so please get in touch.