A patent protects an invention or design from being copied or imitated by someone else. The patent also establishes ownership rights over the invention. Patents offer protection against other companies copying your product or service. However, filing a patent does not guarantee you’ll get the full benefit of the law.
Patent applications are filed with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Once the application has been accepted, the applicant will receive a patent number. This patent number will be attached to the application and appear on the patent’s face.
When you create an idea, new technology, or scientific breakthrough with your work, it is crucial to safeguard it. If innovation, like intellectual property, is not protected, others may copy it or use it for their gain. Philippine Intellectual Property Office’s Bureau of Patents is the standard method of applying for a patent through protection (IPO).
When the IPO issues a patent, the owner is given the only authority to utilize the invention and is prohibited from sharing this authority with anyone else while the patent is in effect. Once your patent is issued, it is valid for twenty years.
Also Read: Are You Aware of the Benefits of Registration of Trademarks?
The application process for a patent is easy and difficult at the same time. On the one hand, if it is easy, that means the process is simple as well as on the other hand, if it is difficult, it involves expert technical guidance.
Before submitting your application for a patent, you must make sure that your product is patentable or not. Per the IP Code, your innovation should provide a technical solution to a problem.
This blog post provides a brief overview of how to patent your invention idea and how to get started. So read it till the end.
Features that make a product patentable
If you know you have invented something, then your invention should meet certain requirements:
- It should be original.
- It must entail a creative approach.
- It must be functional up to an industrial level.
The exceptions to patent
Not all products need to be patentable; there are certain exceptions to it, which are as follows:
- The clause’s provisions do not prevent Congress from considering legislation that would grant breeds of animals and plants a system of sui generis protection as well as a system of collective intellectual property protection;
- The use of diagnostic techniques on the human or animal body and techniques for treating the human or animal body through surgery or therapy. The products and components used in any of these procedures are exempt from this clause;
- Biological processes are generally used to produce plant or animal types or breeds. This provision does not cover microorganisms, microbiological processes, and non-biological processes.
- Something that goes against morality or public order.
- Scientific theories, mathematical techniques, and discoveries; schemes, rules, and techniques for accomplishing mental tasks, conducting business, or using computer games and software;
Keeping the protocols mentioned above in mind, if your invention satisfies all the parameters, you should gather documents to submit to the IPO.
- A Patent Grant Request form provided by the IPO
- Specifications and the claims of the invention: The abstract, the background of the invention, a summary of the invention, a description of the drawings, a full explanation of the invention, and claims must all be included in the description of the invention. It must be underlined that the claims are crucial because they define the invention’s scope and provide protection for it.
- Specified Drawings.
- The required filing fees.
The application will go through a formal investigation, search, and classification of the technology field to which the invention relates after being submitted to the IPO.
Patenting an invention protects its creator from other companies who might try to copy or steal it. The inventor can also benefit financially from their creation through licensing agreements.
Are you looking to patent your business idea in the Philippines? If yes, then you should consider going through a patent attorney. They can provide you with valuable insights on how to get the necessary documents filed for a patent. We hope you enjoyed our blog post on patents and their benefits. If you have a fantastic idea, you’ll want to protect it. That’s where patents come in. Patents are a great way to guard your idea against other companies that may be interested in taking it for themselves. Patents require you to show how your product or service would solve a problem or fill a void in the market. If you or your company has an idea for a product or service, patenting it could protect your idea from the competition.
