A patent for an invention is granted by the state to an inventor, giving the inventor the right for a limited period to stop others from making, using or selling the invention without the permission of the inventor.
A patent for an invention is granted by the state to an inventor, giving the inventor the right for a limited period to stop others from making, using or selling the invention without the permission of the inventor.
It is vital to file a patent application before the information is put in the public domain.
In exchange for this limited monopoly, the inventor discloses the invention to the public via publication of the patent application. It is vital to file a patent application before the information is put in the public domain. If a publication is made before the first filing, then the publication counts as prior art and reduces the territories in which a patent application may be filed as follows:
- within six months of the first publication date an application may be obtained in the US and Japan only;
- within 12 months of the first publication date an application may be obtained in the US only.
This may not be sufficient protection for commercialisation of the invention. No patent protection can be sought for any invention after 12 months of its first publication.
If you are a member of the University of Cambridge and wish to disclose an invention, contact Cambridge Enterprise Ltd (enquiries@enterprise.cam.ac.uk; Tel: 01223 760339). One of the Cambridge Enterprise team will be pleased to meet with you to discuss your options for commercialisation together with the services and support Cambridge Enterprise can offer.
For further information, please go to the Cambridge Enterprise Ltd website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.
