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Albright IP Limited
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Emily Warwick
Emily Warwick
14:56 27 Jul 22
My experience with Albright IP has been flawless from start to finish. I... have never filed a patent before so I was learning everything as I went along. They have been helpful in every way possible and gone the extra mile to ensure I was kept in the loop and happy as everything was going through each step of the way. I cannot express enough how pleased I am with their service. I had the pleasure of working with Will, Abigail, and Adrian. I would recommend Albright IP to anyone looking to file a patent application.read more
Simon Mills
Simon Mills
13:22 06 Jul 22
Super helpful advice, and really friendly service. Highly recommend... Albright for IP advice and services.read more
Luke D.
Luke D.
11:25 23 May 22
Was a pleasure to work with Will and Melissa on a patent draft and filing.... Will took the time to understand both my software product and the commercial motivations behind the patent filing. They were extremely responsive to questions and clarifications throughout the process (availability isn't everything, but it certainly helps!).They were also very clear regarding fees, and set out a very helpful visual timeline and cost breakdown on the whole patent application process at the pre-sales stage. This emphasis on making sure I understood all aspects of the work, and having documentation to help with that, is something I didn't see with any of the other patent services I was talking to at the time. This clear communication continued throughout our interactions.Would recommend Albright IP to anyone looking to patent an invention. The patent they filed for me was for a software invention.read more
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Do I have to identify the designer?
It is possible to waive the name of the designer when filing a European Community Design, but you should be sure that you have the rights to the design

IP – How to keep under the Radar

by | Jan 26, 2017

IP RadarIn the first part of this article – “Keeping under the radar and safeguarding your ideas”, we looked at how best to keep your information confidential before you are ready to launch your idea. Let’s now look at strategies you can adopt when filing for IP protection.

Apply for IP protection early

As alluded to in the first part of the article, one of the requirements for obtaining a valid patent is novelty at the time of filing the application. Therefore, when it comes to patenting, it is better not to wait too long before filing a patent application.

The best thing to do would be to speak to your patent and/or trademark attorney early in the development process about how and when best to protect your idea. Remember, IP protection can be applied for whilst you are still finalising your product and before the final design is completed. A patent application is published by the Patent Office typically 18 months from date of filing, meaning you can work “under the radar” in that period of time if you so wish.IP Protection

If for any reason you do not wish to proceed with the patent application, you can request abandoning of the application to prevent publication of the application. This prevents the media from potentially getting hold of details about your idea and publicises it before you are ready to launch your product, or a competitor from discovering your latest development. However, seek advice from your patent attorney early to ensure the request is sent to the Patent Office in good time prior to completion of preparation of publication. Once the old application has been abandoned, a new patent application can then be filed as and when you are ready and the process to publication can start again.

If you are applying for a design application in the UK or the Europe Union, which tends to be registered and published in a matter of days or weeks, you can request deferred publication or registration if you need more time to develop your product before it becomes public. A UK and European community design application can be deferred for up to 12 months and 30 months respectively.

Tips for IP applications

The last point worth noting is that you do not have to wait until your IP applications are granted before disclosing your idea or product to the world, you can do so as soon as applications are filed and are pending. However, if there are aspects of your idea or product not covered by the IP applications, consult your patent or trademark attorneys before disclosing those aspects to the public as further applications may be necessary.

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