Patent

GOV.UK's guidance on applying for a UK patent sets out the eligibility criteria in three parts, stating that “your invention must be: new - it must not have been made publicly available anywhere in the world, for example it must not be described in a publication”; “inventive - for example, it cannot be an obvious change to something that already exists”; and “either something that can be made and used, a technical process, or a method of doing something.” The guidance also lists exclusions, including literary and artistic works, ways of doing business or playing a game, discoveries and scientific theories, and software without a technical purpose.

A UK patent “lasts up to 20 years” and “if you want it to stay in force, you must renew it every year.” Applications are made to the Intellectual Property Office, and the guidance notes that “applying for a UK patent at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) costs at least £405 if you complete the process” — an application fee and a processing fee, with most applicants also needing to pay a patent attorney. A UK patent only protects the invention within the UK; separate protection must be sought abroad, for example through the European Patent Office or the World Intellectual Property Organisation.