How to Apply for a Patent in the UK
The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office issues patents to protect the inventions and innovations of UK citizens. As long as your invention is new, inventive and not illegal, you will be able to apply for a patent to protect it. The patent application process is fairly simple but requires a bit of paperwork and patience. The application process from submitting your application to publishing your patent can take up to eighteen months.
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Instructions
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Decide if applying for a patent is right for you and your invention. To meet the requirements to apply for a patent in the U.K., your invention must be new, inventive and not fall under any type of legal exclusion. You must also be the legal owner of your invention.
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Apply for a patent for your invention online or by mail. Patent applications in the United Kingdom must include a full description of the invention, including any drawings or sketches, a definition of the invention you want protected, and an up to 150-word summary of the technical features of your invention.
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Complete patent application Form 1. Form 1 can be found on the Intellectual Property Office website. If you're applying for a patent online, the form can be completed electronically. If you're mailing in your patent application, print and complete Form 1, using a black ballpoint pen and all capital letters.
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Review your patent application and supporting documents before submitting. You can submit your application and supporting documents online for faster service, or send to Intellectual Property Office, Concept House, Cardiff Road, Newport, South Wales, NP10 8QQ, United Kingdom.
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Pay any and all applicable fees. In total, you will need to pay 200 GBP to apply for a patent in the United Kingdom. The fee is broken down to 30 GBP for the preliminary examination of the application, 100 GBP for a search to ensure that your invention is new and 70 GBP for a substantive examination of your patent application. If you are applying online, you can use a credit or debit card to pay the fees. If you are mailing the application, you can pay the necessary fees using a personal check or by bank transfer and must include a completed Form FS2 fee sheet, which can be found on the Intellectual Property Office website.
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Wait for confirmation from the Intellectual Property Office. Within three days of receiving your patent application and supporting documents, Intellectual Property Office will send a receipt confirming the date they received your application as well as an application number. The Intellectual Property Office will notify you if there is a problem with your application. If your application is accepted, your patent will be published within eighteen months of the filing date.
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Tips & Warnings
When applying for a patent application in the U.K., applying online is ideal. Besides a faster processing period, applying online saves you the hassle of completing paperwork by hand.
Registering your invention for a patent in the U.K. only protects your invention in the United Kingdom. If you are planning to market your invention abroad, you will need to register for patents in those countries as well.
