Welcome to the Business & IP Centre

Welcome to the Business and IP Centre

A vital resource for entrepreneurs, innovators and business researchers

Largest free collection of business and patent information in the UK

The British Library holds 150 million items

Help from Information Specialists In-depth priced research Workshops, Events & Networking ..invaluable in helping me to get the information I needed to develop my business plan Matthew Lewis Founder & MD, Funkyfins
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A few of our success stories

This is a very special resource and I feel privileged to have access to it Dee Wright Founder of The Hairforce

I had no background in food and drink, so I spent six months in the Library researching the market.. Adam Pritchard Founder & MD, Pomegreat

The Market Research Resources at the centre helped us put together our first business plan, with which we were able to convince NESTA to award us a 35,000 grant to start the business up. Richard Woods Co-founder of DIY Kyoto

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A Beginners Guide to Intellectual Property

Philip Eagle

This presentation is not legal advice We strongly advise you to ask a patent or trade mark attorney before proceeding with using or applying for rights most will offer a free half hour consultation. We can direct you to online directories of specialist patent and trade mark attorneys. Content is limited to the UK region

What Is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual Property (IP) is protection for Creativity and Innovation

Intellectual Property

Patents - How something works or the process of making it

Trade marks Words or logo to indicate the origin of the products or services
Designs The distinctive look of the product or object

Copyright Artistic or written works eg. Paintings, books, films, music etc.
One product can be protected with many forms of IP

Registering Intellectual Property

Patents UKIPO United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (formerly The Patent Office) Trade Marks UKIPO Designs UKIPO Copyright is automatic and is not registered

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Patents

Protect how something works or how it is made Must be new Must not be obvious Must have a useful application Should be Better or Cheaper or Different

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Patents

Granted by a country or by a group of countries (eg European Patent Office) Are country or region specific Can be bought, sold or licensed Do not last forever 20 years standard Cost of a UK patent starts from 200 + extras (eg. Patent attorneys, renewal fees etc)

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Unpatentable Subjects in Britain

Business concepts or procedures Scientific laws or discoveries Problem-solving methods or ways of displaying information Rules for games Computer software Animal or plant breeds/varieties

Medical procedures (but drugs, surgical instruments etc can be patented in themselves)
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Obtaining a Patent

Confidentiality Required Information Full technical description of invention Claims defining monopoly being sought Drawings Abstract (technical summary)

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British Patent Application Procedure

Application filed

Preliminary examination & search

Deadline for foreign applications First publication of specification A

12 months after filing

18 months after filing

Full examination Grant of patent Second publication of specification B

Up to 4.5 years after filing

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Patent myth

There is no such thing as a World Patent However ...

There is a 'shortcut' which allows you to file an application for protection in several countries in one go (PCT application). But this does not result in a World Patent

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Prior-Art Searching

Must search for novelty

Espacenet database http://ep.espacenet.com/

Derwent Innovation Index database

BIPC Staff available to show how to search databases Patent Searching Workshops are provided at The British Library
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Trade Marks

Distinguish ownership of a product or service

Name, Logo, Slogan, Domain Name, Shape, Colour, Sound, Smell

Distinctive for the goods or services which you are applying to register it for Different from rival Can not give false impression
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Trade Marks

Registered in a country or group of countries Are country or region specific Can be bought, sold or licensed

Can last forever

Cost of a UK TM starts from 200 + extras (renewal fees etc)

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Registered trade mark rights

Different proprietors can use the same mark Swan rental cars Swan matches Swan electricals

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Unregistered Trade Marks

Trade Marks do not have to be registered

Unregistered trade marks use

Registered trade marks can use Problems arise in cases of litigation for unregistered trade marks

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Grounds for refusal (in the UK)

Wording that describes the product or service Common surnames Geographical names Implying royal patronage Names or pictures of famous people or characters Words that would prejudice public order, e.g. blasphemy Registered company or domain names 6ter Prohibited marks, e.g. armorial bearings flags and other state emblems

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Examples of trade marks

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Registered designs

Distinctive look of object or item Must be new Must be unique

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Registered designs

Registered in a country or group of countries Are country or region specific Can be bought, sold or licensed

Do not last forever 25 years standard

Cost of a UK Design starts from 60 + extras

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Registered designs

A grace period of 12 months is permitted before applying for rights. If not registered, Design Right applies 15 years The word design is often loosely used, hence we use Registered design

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Examples of registered designs

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Copyright

Prevents copying of artistic or written works eg. Paintings, books, films, music etc.

Can be bought, sold or licensed

Lasts up to 70 years after the authors death Automatic right Not registered Cost is free

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Copyright

Recommended that work is marked:

Joe Bloggs 2007

Create a record of the date Deposit work with bank Deposit work with solicitor Send by registered mail to yourself

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Copyright

Books, novels, technical reports, manuals Paintings, sculptures, photographs Music, songs, plays, dramatic works Films, videos, television and radio broadcasts

Engineering, technical or architectural plans

Promotional literature, advertising Computer software, databases

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Exceptions to Copyright

Copying for non-commercial research or private study Quoting for critique or review, with acknowledgement of the source Reproducing an artistic work by hand as a class assignment in an educational establishment Making a copy for a visually-impaired person if no accessible version is commercially available Time-shifting of radio or TV broadcasts
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Copyright

Copying Adapting Publishing Renting

Performing
Broadcasting

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Sources of IP information

The British Library BIPC http://www.bl.uk/collections/patents.html http://www.bl.uk/bipc/ bipc@bl.uk The UK Intellectual Property Office http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ enquiries@ipo.gov.uk The British Library Research http://www.bl.uk/research research@bl.uk

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Here to Help

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