Utility Patent in UK

A UK patent is a legal right granted by the UKIPO to protect a new and inventive technical solution. It gives the inventor exclusive rights to make, use, license, or sell the invention in the UK.

You can patent:

• Machines or devices
• Industrial processes or methods
• Chemical compositions
• Software (if it solves a technical problem in a novel way)
• New uses of known products

Your invention must be:

• Novel (not disclosed publicly before the filing date)
• Inventive (not obvious to someone skilled in the field)
• Capable of industrial application (can be made or used in industry)
• Not fall into excluded categories like purely abstract ideas or mathematical methods

Up to 20 years from the date of filing, provided you pay annual renewal fees starting in year 5.

No. But you can file a priority application (a simple, early filing) and submit the full specification within 12 months.

1. File the application with description and claims
2. Receive the search report (usually within 6 months)
3. Publish the application (at 18 months)
4. Request substantive examination
5. Examination and response to objections
6. Grant of patent (if approved)

It usually takes 2.5 to 4 years, though it can be faster through accelerated examination.

You may request faster processing through:

• Green Channel (for environmentally beneficial inventions)
• Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) (based on an allowed patent in a partner country)

Not required, but strongly recommended, especially for foreign applicants or complex inventions. Non-UK residents must appoint a UK patent representative after the application is filed.

Approximate official fees:

• Application fee: £60
• Search fee: £150
• Examination fee: £100
• Renewal fees begin in year 5 (starting at £70 and increasing annually)

Professional fees for drafting and legal representation are additional.

No. A UK patent only protects your invention within the United Kingdom. You must apply in other countries or use international routes (like the PCT).

Yes. You can:

• File via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) through UKIPO or WIPO
• File directly with foreign patent offices
• Use a European patent via the EPO (post-Brexit, the UK remains a member of the EPO)

You may lose your right to patent. UK law requires absolute novelty. Always file a patent application before any public disclosure (e.g., social media, exhibition, or press).

You must pay annual renewal fees starting from year 5 through to year 20 to keep the patent in force.

Yes. UK patents can be assigned, sold, or licensed, and you can record these transactions with UKIPO for public notice and legal clarity.

You can track it through the UKIPO Patent Information and Document Service (Ipsum) online database.

Software is not patentable on its own. However, if it produces a technical effect (e.g., improves computer performance or controls machinery), it may be eligible.