A patent is a legally enforceable right for a tool, substance, method, or process. For your application to achieve success, your invention should be new, helpful, and inventive or innovative.
When granted, a patent can give you exclusive business rights to your invention (a monopoly).
The type of patent you hold will confirm the duration of your protection.
All Australian patent applications must be filed with us. We will assess your application to make sure it meets legislative requirements.
We recommend that you simply request professional assistance before applying for a patent.
We recommend that you simply request professional assistance before applying for a patent you are a small and medium enterprise (SME) you can access our SME Case Management service if you do not yet have legal representation. This service connects you with a dedicated IP Australia subject matter expert who is your single point of contact to assist you at any stage of the patent application or examination process,USPTO including general information and search questions.
Don't go public too soon
Be aware that if you demonstrate, sell, or discuss your invention in public before filing an application with us, you may not get a patent.
If you want to discuss it with workers or business partners, have them sign a confidentiality agreement.
Benefits of patents
The protection provided by the Australian patent system contributes to the success of new inventions and the millions of dollars in earnings they generate.
A patent will:
Deciding if a patent is the right choice
If you have developed a new device, substance,USPTO method, or process you should decide whether patenting it should be part of your business strategy.
A patent may be the right choice for you if:
Do your research and ensure you:
One option to consider when deciding if a patent is the right choice for you is a provisional application. Provisional applications are inexpensive and give you the earliest possible priority date. A priority date establishes the fact that you are the first person to file a new invention with us. While a provisional application doesn’t provide you with the protection of a full patent,USPTO it does give you up to 12 months to consider your options before deciding to proceed with a patent application.
If you are thinking about expanding your business overseas, you can also consider a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application for your invention. A PCT application will give you a quick indication of whether your invention can be patented. It also allows you to decide which countries you would like to have protection in.
Engaging an attorney
For first-time applicants engaging an attorney can greatly increase the chances of success.
This toolkit is your step-by-step guide on how, why, what, and when to engage your patent attorney. It explains the basics to get you started, and detail on how to engage an attorney for your project, so you feel confident in navigating your next steps. Read the Engaging an attorney toolkit.
Who can apply for a Patent
A patent can be owned by:
the inventor(s)
the person who has legally obtained rights to the invention from the inventor(s) or an intermediary
A company, organization, or another employer of someone who made the invention in the course of their normal duties.
You must provide an address for legal service and This needs to be in Australia or New Zealand. Your address for correspondence can be anywhere in the world.
A firm or partnership is unable to get a patent. The partners in the firm or partnership can, however, obtain a patent jointly in their own names
If you decide not to patent
Having considered all the issues, you may decide that parenting is not the best option for your particular circumstances. You may prefer to keep your invention as a trade secret. When making this decision, you should assess the risk of someone discovering your invention through industrial espionage or,USPTO if your invention is a product, by reverse engineering.
You also need to consider the results of somebody else independently developing the same invention.
Another alternative is to openly use and publish details about your invention. Publicly disclosing an invention will prevent someone else from obtaining a patent for it. However while no one would have a commercial monopoly on your invention, your competitors would be free to use it for their own benefit
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