Making a patent application

According to the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, a patent application must include:

  • a written description of your invention: allowing others to see how it works and how it could be made

  • drawings: to illustrate your description

  • claims: precise legal statements in the form of single sentences that define your invention by setting out its distinctive technical features

  • an abstract: a summary that includes all the important technical aspects of your invention.

(Intellectual Property Office, 2015a)

The period from initial application through to the granting of a patent can take several years, as time must be allowed for a detailed evaluation and searches of existing patents to ensure that there is no infringement of other people’s IP.

What cannot be patented?

3.2 Copyright