Business & IP Centre Devon

Patents

Patents protect inventions – how things work. They can add real long-term value to your business, enabling you to protect your inventions, or licence them out for others to use.

Taking out a patent is a much longer and more in-depth process than other forms of IP protection – to get the most out of your time and money, legal advice is strongly recommended! Your invention needs to be new, inventive, and able to be made. For your application to be successful, it’s vital that you keep your invention confidential until publication by the IPO, and you may need to consider confidentiality agreements or NDAs if you’re working with others to develop your idea.

Useful Links

Patents (comprehensive information from the UK Intellectual Property Office)

Patent factsheets

Applying for a patent

Searching for a patent (Espacenet)

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)

British Library Inventors’ Club (last Monday of the month, currently online – learn how others have taken their product to market)

If you need any further help, please contact us.

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