The document provides an overview of intellectual property (IP), including various forms such as patents, trademarks, designs, copyright, and trade secrets. It discusses how to identify and secure IP rights, emphasizing the importance of proper disclosure and ownership, particularly in employer-employee relationships. Additionally, it highlights the process of patenting and the importance of selecting a qualified patent attorney.

1. Intellectual Property
Dr Richard Gibbs (Marks & Clerk LLP)
Member of the Chartered Institute
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

2. What is IP?
• Patents
• products, apparatus, processes
• Trade marks
• company name, logo, product name
• Designs
• shape/ornamentation
• Copyright
• software, drawings, operation manuals, website, marketing literature
• Know how and Confidential Information
• new inventions, staff knowledge, manufacturing methods, products

3. Apple
How can it work for you?

4. Identifying IP
• Patents – novel and inventive (industrially applicable/sufficiency)
• Trade mark – distinctive; graphical representation?
• Designs – novel with distinctive character
• Copyright – what’s left? The manifestation of an idea

5. What is a Patent?
– A right granted by the Government
Novel
Inventive
Capable of Industrial application
Not excluded by S1(2)(3) PA1977
• e=mc2 - Excluded
• Trigger for a landmine - Excluded
• Amazon One Click Patent
– A monopoly for a limited period of time (usually up to 20 years)
– In exchange for public disclosure so that others are free to use your
invention once the monopoly term has expired
– A negative right.

6. Where can I patent?
• Anywhere that has a patent system
• Territorial – a UK patent will only protect in the UK
• Various conventions and treaties aim to ease routes to foreign
protection
– Paris Convention
– Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
– European Patent Convention (EPC)

7. Identifying, handling and securing IP
• Capture – communication, invention disclosure procedures, incentives,
“dabble time”.
• Problems
• Disclosures – confidentiality (Non disclosure agreement at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-cda.htm)
• Ownership
• Research – market, product, state of the art (a professional matter)
• Professional advice

8. Ownership
• Employers own IP…………sometimes
An invention made by an employee shall…….be taken to belong to his
employer……..if………….
it was made in the course of the normal duties of the employee or…..
duties specifically assigned to him, and the circumstances in either case
were such that an invention might reasonably be expected to result
…… or……….
the invention was made in the course of the duties of the employee and, at
the time of making the invention……..he had a special obligation to further
the interests of the employer's undertaking.
• Beware contracts that state otherwise

9. How to identify the inventor
• Not like authorship
• "inventor" means the actual deviser of the invention
• One must first identify the inventive concept and then determine who
devised that concept.
• Applicant and inventor(s) may be the same or different
• Company (Employer) = Applicant
• 1 (or more) employee(s) = inventors

10. What should you protect? Adding Value
• Does the patent protect the key product/process?
• Yes - primary focus Claims
“A support device with at
least one ground
engaging member”
“A wooden chair with 4 legs”

11. What is the breadth of the IP?
• patent application covers the product – good but could be better
• Scope should be as large as the prior art permits

12. Choosing a Patent Attorney
• Consider the technology
• Select someone with the right background
• Meet to discuss
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