PATENT

Importance of the
Technology
• We are in “the Knowledge Century”
• Live in “the Knowledge Society”
• Governed by “the Knowledge
Economy”
• Technology fuels economic growth.
• IP therefore has become a
fundamental
business asset in the new economy.
• One of the important sources of
innovative
 IP
• IP is the asset on which most firms
are
built.
• IP is the asset on which high tech is
built.
• IP is for sure the asset on which
biotech
industry is built.
• IP is integral to the innovation
process.
Methods of IP protection

• Copyright
• Trademark
• Patents
• Industrial Designs
• Trade secrets
 Choice of IP Protection
When protecting IP there are many decisions
to be made:
• Why to protect
• How to protect
• Where to protect
The choice depends on:
• Type of technology, and competitive
environment
• Economic life of the technology
• Corporate strategy & philosophy
 Patents: an incentive to
innovation

• A social contract between the inventor and

the Government; or
• A form of monopoly for a limited period of
time intended to encourage disclosure of
useful inventions.
• Originally developed by Venetians to
promote
trade and commerce.
• Patent system is structured to ensure the
rapid and open dissemination of new
 Patent Basics

• Patents can protect ideas, not just

expression of ideas
• Not all ideas are patentable , subject
matters an invention must be patentable
• An invention must be novel and not
obvious
• It cannot be known or deduced directly
from prior art
• An invention must be useful –knowledge
itself cannot
be patented
 Patent Applications
• Patent rights do not arise automatically
• Must obtain approval from a governmental
patent examiner
• Patent application process is costly, time
consuming and requires skills
• Patent subsist for a defined term and after
that the invention falls into the public
domain and may be freely used by anyone
• Currently, Canadian, as well U.S. patents
extend for a 20 years from the application
filing date
 Patent Pitfalls

• Public disclosures
• First-to-file versus first-to-invent
• Premature disclosure of invention
• Ownership disputes
 Patent Searches

• www.delphion.com
• www.pl-xcom/index.php
• www.uspto.gov/
• www.ep.espacenet.com