Introduction to Patent Protection
Patents are in general used as commercial tools to gain a bridgehead position over the competition, to prevent unauthorised third parties from copying an invention and/or to act as a source of revenue for the patent owner.To be patentable, an invention must be:
- NEW
- INVOLVE AN INVENTIVE STEP
- INDUSTRIALLY APPLICABLE
An invention involves AN INVENTIVE STEP if it is not obvious in the technical field of the invention. Inventiveness, or non-obviousness, is a highly subjective question, and one on which many court cases have focussed. However, technical advantages of the invention over other documents in the technical field of the invention are often used to show an inventive step.
The third criterion is almost always satisfied with any invention which can be made and used in a commercial activity.
The National or Regional Patent Office of a country in which a patent application is filed will determine whether an invention forming the basis of the patent application meets the requirements for patentability. The process is determined during a search and examination procedure of the application.
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The above requirements for obtaining patent protection can be discussed with our technical staff before a decision to file a patent application is made.