Course Overview

A patent is an intellectual property right (IPR) which protects an invention. A patent can provide a legally enforceable monopoly over a new product or process for up to 20 years. Thus it is potentially of enormous value to your business. A patent owned by a competitor can pose a threat to exploitation of new products or processes developed by your company.

Companies face many hurdles in identifying inventions that they have developed obtaining patents on those inventions and making efficient use of those patents in order to maximise the competitive advantage they can provide. They also face many hurdles in identifying and avoiding third party patents that can threaten their business.

This course will provide participants with a good understanding of the value of patents, their ownership, how to get them, how to make best use of them and how to avoid or attack them.

Course Objectives

After attending the course, participants will have a good understanding of:

• The value of patents and how they enhance the competitive advantage of innovation
• How to identity inventions that might be patentable
• How to get a patent
• Who owns an invention and who owns the patent
• Scope of a patent and what patent infringement is
• Threats posed by third part patents
• Who to go to for help and advice
  

Who Will Benefit?

This course is intended for people who want to improve their understanding of patents as intellectual property rights (IPRs).

It is particularly relevant to those involved in improving the competitiveness of businesses through new product or process development, those responsible for managing research or new product/process development or those directly involved in researching or developing new products and processes.

Course Content

• Types of intellectual property: patents, trade marks, designs, copyright, trade secrets
• Definition of a patent as monopoly, the nature of the patent bargain
• Value of patents (to companies, and stakeholders) case studies
• How to read a patent document (sections, as technical reference, or legal document) Examples of real patents
• Inventions and patentable inventions
• How to recognise an invention, features of an invention, novel and inventive features.
• Patentability (exclusions from patentability, other requirements of an invention
  How to get advice and help. How to keep costs down.
• How to get a patent (procedure, drafting applications important points to consider).
• International patent protection
• Patent protection in depth and breadth: patent strategies and patent portfolios.
• Third party patents and how to attack a patent
• Scope of a patent and infringement.
• Making patents work for your company (selling, enforcing, policing, licensing, transfer of technology)
  
  

Course Presenter

James A. Knowles, BSc., PhD - Chartered Patent Agent, European Patent Attorney and European Trade Mark Agent. -