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...
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, 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...
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
This information is available in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.
Find out more about our opposition services and why Mewburn Ellis is Europe's number...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
Oral Proceedings
This information is available in Korean.
“Oral proceedings” refers to a hearing at which one or more parties to proceedings before the EPO present...
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...
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...
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.
Third Party Observations explained
Third Party Observations (TPOs) provide a mechanism for third parties to file objections and evidence against a pending patent application which, if...
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 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...
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...
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.