What you need to know about Engineering patents
What is a patent?
A patent is granted by the government to the applicant. This gives the applicant the right for a limited period to stop others from making, using or selling an invention without the permission of the applicant.
What do you have to look out for when filing for an Engineering patent?
- One of the important aspects of patenting an invention to remember is that once the marketing of a product begins, the public becomes aware of your invention. Although part of patenting an invention does include publicising the invention, the patent itself can protect your market share and give you legal grounds to pursue anyone who would copy your invention.
- Market share is calculated by taking the company’s sales over the period and dividing it by the total sales of the industry over the same period. This metric gives a general idea of the size of a company, its market and its competitors. Therefore, the market leader in an industry is the company with the largest market share. (Hayes. A (2021) Market Share – 07 June 2022)
- The difference between protecting your invention with a Patent or a Trade Secret is important information for engineers to understand. Whilst a Patent can protect your innovation, a Trade Secret protects valuable, secret information. Such as data client lists and software secrets.
Finding the right patent attorney
- It is crucial to choose the right patent attorney for your business. With a patent attorney, your chances of successfully obtaining a patent are increased. A patent attorney can handle all aspects of obtaining a patent, from writing the specification of the invention – the description and the claims – to arguing the merits of the invention with the Examining Patent Office.
- A patent attorney can also advise you on other aspects of intellectual property, such as Trade Marks, Copyright and Designs.
