patent
n. The grant of an exclusive right to exploit an invention. In the UK patents are granted by the Crown through the Intellectual Property Office (IPO: formerly the Patent Office), which is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. An applicant for a patent (usually the inventor or his employer) must show that the invention is new, is not obvious, and is capable of industrial application. An expert known as a patent agent often prepares the application, which must describe the invention in considerable detail. The IPO publishes these details if it grants a patent. A patent remains valid for 20 years from the date of application (the priority date) provided that the person to whom it has been granted (the patentee) continues to pay the appropriate fees. During this time, the patentee may assign his patent or grant licences to use it. Such transactions are registered in a public register at the Patent Office. If anyone infringes his monopoly, the patentee may sue for an injunction and damages or an account of profits. However, a patent from the IPO gives exclusive rights in the UK only: the inventor must obtain a patent from the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich and patents in other foreign countries if he wishes to protect the invention elsewhere. The EPO procedure applies to “Europe”, not just the EU, so was unaffected by Brexit. For patents internationally the Patent Co-operation Treaty procedure can be used. A Community Patent covering all EU states except Spain and Croatia has been agreed but is still (2021) awaiting ratification. The UK chose not to be part of the Community Patent regime when it left the EU. See also utility model.
https://www.gov.uk/topic/intellectual-property/patents
• Advice on applying for a patent from the Intellectual Property Office
https://www.cipa.org.uk/
• Website of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys: includes an introduction to patents and other forms of intellectual property
- competent patient
- Competition and Markets Authority
- competition law
- competitive tendering
- complainant
- complaint
- completion
- composition
- compos mentis
- compound
- compounding an offence
- compound settlement
- compromis d’arbitrage
- compromise
- compromise agreement
- compulsory jurisdiction
- compulsory purchase
- compulsory winding-up
- computer documents
- computer misuse
- concealment
- concealment of securities
- concentration
- concert party
- conciliation