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Table of Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................................ 2
Module Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 4

Module Overview and Learning Outcomes............................................................................................................................. 4

Module Map ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Knowledge Nugget: What are Patents? .................................................................................................................................. 6
Evolution of a Patent ............................................................................................................................................................... 8
Check Your Learning 1 ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Criteria for Patent Protection, Inclusions and Exclusions................................................................................................ 10
Inclusions and Exclusions of Patent Protection .................................................................................................................... 10
Conditions and Criteria for Patentability .............................................................................................................................. 11
Example: Micro-Implantable Pump....................................................................................................................................... 13
Check your Learning 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 14
Check Your Learning 3 ........................................................................................................................................................... 15
Obtaining a Patent ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
Key Highlights of Obtaining a Patent..................................................................................................................................... 16
Patent Related Rights and Enforcement ........................................................................................................................ 17
What benefits a patent confers? ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Duration of Patent Protection ............................................................................................................................................... 18
Exceptions to Patent Rights ................................................................................................................................................... 19
Check Your Learning 4 ........................................................................................................................................................... 20
Enforcement of Patents ......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Obtaining Patents Worldwide ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Is it possible to get a worldwide patent? .............................................................................................................................. 22
Key Points............................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Trade Secrets, Public Domains and Patents ................................................................................................................... 24
What are trade secrets? ........................................................................................................................................................ 24
Check Your Learning 5 ........................................................................................................................................................... 25
Trade Secrets and Patents ..................................................................................................................................................... 26
Conditions for Information to be Considered a Trade Secret............................................................................................... 27
What is the public domain in the context of patents? ......................................................................................................... 28

More about Public Domains .................................................................................................................................................. 29

Module Summary .......................................................................................................................................................... 31

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Module Quiz.................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Question Set........................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Answer Key ................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Check Your Learning .............................................................................................................................................................. 34
Module Quiz........................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Module Resources ......................................................................................................................................................... 37
Video Tutorial................................................................................................................................................................ 38
End of Module 7: Patents .............................................................................................................................................. 38

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 Module Introduction
Module Overview and Learning Outcomes

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 Module Map

This module is divided into 5 topics. You are required to complete the topics sequentially in order to best meet the module
learning outcomes.

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 Knowledge Nugget: What are Patents?

Upon filing of a patent application by an applicant, an intellectual property office (in general, a patent office or an industrial
property office) issues a patent, if the patent application meets the requirements stipulated in the applicable law.

A Patent is a legal document that grants an exclusive right on the patented invention, which is a product or a process that
provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem.

The usual effects of the grant of a patent are that the patented invention may not be exploited during the limited period,
in the country in which the patent is granted, by persons other than the owner of the patent, unless the owner agrees to
such exploitation by others. In other words, a patent protects an invention, and grants to the owner of a patent the exclusive
right to decide who shall and who shall not exploit his/her patented invention during the limited term of patent protection.

A patent document, which is published to the public at large, indicates the scope of patent protection and contains a
detailed description of the patented invention.

Example of inventions include band-aid, electric iron, safety pin, ball point pen, telephone, etc.

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 Purpose of a Patent

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 Evolution of a Patent

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 Check Your Learning 1

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 Criteria for Patent Protection, Inclusions and Exclusions
Inclusions and Exclusions of Patent Protection

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 Conditions and Criteria for Patentability

There are several criteria that a patent office will look at to determine whether the invention is patentable or not.

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 Example: Micro-Implantable Pump

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 Check your Learning 2

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 Check Your Learning 3

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 Obtaining a Patent
Key Highlights of Obtaining a Patent

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 Patent Related Rights and Enforcement
What benefits a patent confers?

You may be asking what benefits a patent confers, particularly if the invention has to be disclosed to the public.

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 Duration of Patent Protection

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 Exceptions to Patent Rights

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 Check Your Learning 4

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 Enforcement of Patents

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 Obtaining Patents Worldwide
Is it possible to get a worldwide patent?

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 Key Points

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 Trade Secrets, Public Domains and Patents
What are trade secrets?

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 Check Your Learning 5

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 Trade Secrets and Patents

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 Conditions for Information to be Considered a Trade Secret

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 What is the public domain in the context of patents?

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 More about Public Domains

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 Module Summary

This module has introduced the area of patents in intellectual property. Patents are one of the oldest forms of intellectual
property protection. The patent system accelerates technological development by offering the possibility of material
reward to an inventor, and at the same time, by facilitating the spread of new technological knowledge to the public.

Both new creations and the further development of existing ones may be protected by patents. Patents may protect a
breakthrough in science like the invention of penicillin as well as a new lever on a machine invented to make the machine
run faster. Patents protect inventions and in general, an invention provides a new way of doing something or a new technical
solution to a problem. In order to obtain a patent, patent law does not require that the invention be represented in a
physical embodiment. However, there are inventions that cannot be patented. These include, in particular, discoveries,
plant or animal varieties, scientific theories, business or commercial methods, mathematical methods. Furthermore,
diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical methods for the treatment of humans or animals (as opposed to medical products) as
well as inventions the exploitation of which is against order public or morality are excluded from patentability in many
countries.

Once a patent application is on file, there are two general approaches: in some countries the examination process only
reviews the formality requirements, while in other jurisdictions patent applications are substantively examined by a
technical expert to ensure that it meets the patentability criteria. The criteria for patentability of an invention are as follows:

• it must be new or novel;

• it must involve an inventive step (or non-obvious),

• it must be capable of industrial application (or useful).

In short, a patent is a deal between the public and the inventor. The state gives protection to the patent owner for a limited
period of time, while obliges the patent owner to publicly disclose its invention. Patent protection is granted, generally, for
20 years from the filing date of the application, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. Once a patent is expired,
lapsed, revoked or invalidated, the invention enters into the public domain which means that anyone can commercially
exploit it without infringing the patent in the country concerned. The enforcement of one's patent is a complex subject, and
it is the patent holder that must monitor, identify and take actions against infringers. Since there is no such thing as
international patents, in principle, an inventor must file a patent application in each country for which he/she is interested
in obtaining patent protection. In case the patent protection is sought in a number of countries worldwide, an applicant
may consider filing an international application under the PCT.

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 Module Quiz
Question Set

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 Answer Key
Check Your Learning

ID No Check Your Learning Questions and Model Answers

Question: What is the main purpose of a patent?

Question: How is an ‘inventive step’ recognized?

Question: How is ‘industrial application’ determined?

Question: Who is authorized to exclude, in principle, all others from making, using, selling, offering for sale or
importing an invention?

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 Question: Give an example of ‘trade secret protection’ and what it protects.

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 Module Quiz

Question Question Correct Answer/s

Number

1 Choose from the following list two correct answers to this question: 4. b & d
When a patent expires, it:
a) is automatically protected for an additional 20 years.
b) passes into the public domain for free use
c) becomes a trade secret.
d) can be exploited without a license from the patent
holder.

2 A ‘worldwide’ patent exists. Is this statement TRUE or FALSE? False

3 Through use of the PCT, it is simpler and cheaper to achieve patent True
protection in several chosen Offices at the same time, rather than to
process applications individually in each of those Offices.
Is this statement TRUE or FALSE?

4 What happens if you do not pay an annual patent protection fee in a 2. The patent protection lapses, is
given country? no longer valid in that country and
goes into public domain for free
use

5 Which two of the following things are more typically patented? 4. a & e
a) a new chemical process
b) a painting
c) a book
d) a song
e) an improved perfume-distilling machine

6 From what you have learned about patent law, choose from the list Because such a machine defies the
below, all reasons why a “perpetual motion machine” be excluded from physical laws of nature.
protection?

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 Module Resources

Legislative Texts

Name Hyperlink

Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/paris/

Property (the Paris Convention)

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/registration/pct/

The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/trips_e.htm

Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement).

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 Video Tutorial

The following video, by Marco Aleman, is an introductory presentation to patents, the process of filing a patent and the
role of patents in promoting innovation.

https://vimeo.com/user2977389/review/366942832/c620747d36

End of Module 7: Patents

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