The full process of obtaining a patent usually takes around two and a half years; it can be anything from about a year (if you ask the Intellectual Property Office to expedite it) to four years. However, as soon as you file the initial application no one else will be able to get a patent covering your invention, and you have 12 months to decide whether to take the application forward.
The key stages and costs of a patent application are:
- Filing an initial application. The Intellectual Property Office does not charge for this (though your patent agent will).
- ? Within 12 months, paying for a preliminary examination and search (£130), after which you receive a search report.
- Publication of the patent application 18 months after filing.
- Within six months of this, paying for a full examination (£70).
- Grant of the full patent, which can then be maintained for up to 20 years from the initial filing date. You pay renewal fees from the fifth year onwards, currently starting at £50 for year five and rising to £400 for year 20.
Including patent agent costs, the full process might cost £2,500 plus subsequent patent renewal fees.
