Contents

General Procedures
Patentability and Important Statutes
Types of Patents and Applications
Structure of a Patent Document Sections and
Terms
Requirements for Complete Specifcations
From Ra Idea to !ar"et

Identifcation of Patentable ideas#in$entions

Patentability e$aluation % &usiness

considerations

Does it meet t'e patentability criteria(

)'ic' countries s'ould be co$ered (

&usiness considerations* R+I ,tan-ible#intan-ible.

Competiti$e#/icense#con$entional launc'

)ill it sur$i$e opposition#re$ocation proceedin-s0

Information % documentation for
Patent Application

In$entors to maintain proper /o-1boo"s

,First to in$ent2 3S.

A confdentiality a-reement is a document

desi-ned to protect t'e confdentiality of
ideas* in$entions* notes* and any ot'er
tec'nical or proprietary information4 It
s'ould be si-ned by t'e researc'er#in$entor
and anyone outside t'e company in$ol$ed
in a discussion re-ardin- researc'0
Patentability2 3S
35 USC 100 Defnitions
,a. In$ention means in$ention or disco$ery
,b. 5Process6 means process* art or met'od and
includes a ne use of a "non process* mac'ine *
manufacture* composition of matter* or a material0
35 USC 101
Any person 'o 7in$ents or disco$ers any ne and
useful process* mac'ine* manufacture* or
composition of matter* or any ne and useful
impro$ement t'ereof* may obtain a patent*8 sub9ect
to t'e conditions and requirements of t'is title0
Patentability2 3S Contd0
What is not patentable:

las of nature* p'ysical p'enomena* and abstract

ideas are not patentable sub9ect matter0

3seful2 Refers to t'e condition t'at t'e sub9ect

matter 'as a useful purpose and also includes
operati$eness* t'at is* a mac'ine 'ic' ill not
operate to perform t'e intended purpose ould
not be called useful* and t'erefore ould not be
-ranted a patent0

mere idea or su--estion are not patentable

Tests of Patentability

New or Novel: T'e in$ention must be demonstrably di:erent

from publicly a$ailable ideas* in$entions* or products ,so1
called ;prior art;.0 T'is does not mean t'at e$ery aspect of an
in$ention must be no$el0 For e<ample* ne uses of "non
processes* mac'ines* compositions of matter and materials
are patentable0 Incremental impro$ements on "non
processes also may be patentable0

Useful: T'e in$ention must 'a$e some application or utility or

be an impro$ement o$er e<istin- products and#or tec'niques0

Non-Obvious: T'e in$ention cannot be ob$ious to a person of

;ordinary s"ill; in t'e feld4 non1ob$iousness usually is
demonstrated by s'oin- t'at practicin- t'e in$ention yields
surprisin-* une<pected results0
Important Statutes

Prior art searc' to e$aluate patentability 0r0t0 =>

3S ?@A
35 USC 10! Con"itions for patentabilit#$ novelt#
an" loss of ri%ht to patent
A person s'all be entitled to a patent unless 1
&a' t'e in$ention as "non or used by ot'ers in t'is
country* or patented or described in a printed publication in
t'is or a forei-n country* before t'e in$ention t'ereof by t'e
applicant for patent*
Important Statutes Contd0
35 USC 103
A patent may not be obtained* if t'e
di:erences beteen t'e sub9ect matter
and t'e prior art are suc' t'at t'e sub9ect
matter as a 'ole ould 'a$e been
ob$ious to a person 'a$in- ordinary s"ill
in t'e art to 'ic' said sub9ect matter
pertains0 ,frequent ob9ection.
Types of Patents

Utilit# (atents
!ay be -ranted to anyone 'o in$ents or disco$ers
any ne and useful process* mac'ine* article of
manufacture* or composition of matter* or any ne
and useful impro$ement t'ereof

Desi%n (atents
!ay be -ranted to anyone 'o in$ents a ne* ori-inal*
and ornamental desi-n for an article of manufacture

(lant (atents
may be -ranted to anyone 'o in$ents or disco$ers
and ase<ually reproduces any distinct and ne $ariety
of plant
Types of Applications
Bational Application
Bational applications are -enerally fled at a national patent
oCce* suc' as t'e 3nited Din-dom Patent +Cce* to obtain a
patent in t'e country of t'at oCce0 T'e application may
eit'er be fled directly at t'at oCce* or may result from a
re-ional application or from an international application
Re-ional Application
A re-ional patent application is one 'ic' may 'a$e e:ect
in a ran-e of countries0 T'e European Patent +Cce ,EP+. is
an e<ample of a Re-ional patent oCce0
International Application
T'e PCT system enables an applicant to fle a sin-le patent
application in a sin-le lan-ua-e0 T'e application* called an
international application* can* at a later date* lead to t'e
-rant of a patent in any of t'e states contractin- to t'e PCT0
Types of Applications

Pro$isional ,PPA.

Complete#Re-ular ,RPA.#Bon1pro$isional

Continuation Application ,CP.

Continuation1in1part ,CIP.

Di$isional
3SPT+ process

Filin-

E<amination

+Cce action

Submissions from t'e applicant#a-ent

Subsequent +Cce action

Furt'er submissions

Re1e<amination 3#S =@A +R =??

Structure of a patent document
Sections in a Patent
Documents

Title

Field of t'e In$ention

&ac"-round

Summary

&rief Description of Fi-ures

Drain-s

Defnitions

Detailed Description

Claims

Abstract
Patent Document 1 Terms

Assi-nee

In$entor

Filin- date

Grant#Issue date#Date of Patent

Priority date

Patent Bumber

Publication Bumber

Application Bumber

IPC class
=> 30S0C0 F ??A2 Specifcation

7T'e specifcation s'all contain a ritten

description of t'e in$ention* and of t'e manner
and process of ma"in- and usin- it* in suc' full*
clear* concise* and e<act terms as to enable
any person s"illed in t'e art to 'ic' it
pertains* or it' 'ic' it is most nearly
connected to* to ma"e and use t'e same* and
s'all set fort' t'e best mode contemplated by
t'e in$entor of carryin- out 'is in$ention08
Title =G CFR F ?0G?
Specifcations must2

Set fort' t'e precise in$ention claimed

Distin-uis' beteen t'e in$ention and prior art

Describe completely a specifc embodiment

E<plain t'e mode of operation or principle* 'ere applicable

Point out t'e specifc part or parts of process* mac'ine*

manufacture or composition of matter to 'ic' t'e
impro$ement relates* if t'e in$ention represents an
impro$ement

In case of t'e in$ention bein- an impro$ement* t'e

description s'ould be confned to t'e specifc impro$ement
and to suc' parts as necessary to cooperate it' it

3nity of in$ention ,=G CFR ?0?H?.

To or more independent and distinct in$entions may not be

claimed in one application
Requirements2 Specifcation

Des)ription *e+uire,ent2 To dra t'e boundary

co$ered by t'e in$ention ,support for claims.

-nable,ent *e+uire,ent 2 To enable a person s"illed

in t'e art to ma"e and use4 Beed not e<plain t'e
scientifc principles

.est /o"e *e+uire,ent2 disclose 'at t'e in$entor

belie$es to be t'e best mode

Utilit# *e+uire,ent: SuCcient to pro$e 9ust one utility4

S'ould also satisfy t'e requirements of => 3SC F?@?
T'an"
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