MACIPO & ASSOCIATES has expertise in all technical areas including electronics, optics, computer software, biotechnology, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. We keep abreast of the latest developments in technology and patent law, and continue to be involved in some of the leading cases in biotechnology, electronics and computer-related inventions.

We provide comprehensive services in most technical fields as well as specialised expertise in Biotechnology & Life Sciences, Chemistry, Electronics and Software, Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Physics Based Technologies, Computer technology, Telecommunications, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and other areas with solicitors who specialise in intellectual property offer professional advice on patent validity and infringement and can supervise both offensive and defensive litigation in the Patent Office and Patents County Court and patent and trademark professionals throughout the other European countries and around the world.

UK patents can be obtained either by filing directly at the UK national patent office, by designating the UK in a European patent application, or by designating the UK or a European regional application in an international patent application under the Patent Co-operation Treaty.

For patents filed at the UK Patent Office, a combined search and examination report issues from the Patent Office within a period of around three months from filing. Under the streamlined accelerated prosecution procedure, granted UK national patents can be obtained within a period of around 18 months from filing.

We provide a complete, high-quality service, including drafting new patent applications and prosecuting those patent applications before the British and European Patent Offices and under the Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT), as well as coordinating the filing and prosecution of corresponding national and/or regional applications worldwide. We are also involved in obtaining Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). Other important aspects of our work include advising on validity, infringement and amendment of patents, including "due diligence" investigations; and handling patent oppositions and revocation proceedings.

We have wide and successful experience of presentation of cases at European Patent Office hearings and interviews, and in particular frequently represent clients in opposition and appeal hearings.

However, where the applicant wishes to delay the prosecution and keep the application in the patent pending phase longer, then the prosecution of the application before grant can be delayed for up to the maximum of four and a half years allowed by the UK Patents Act. At the end of the four and a half years period from filing, the application must either be granted or rejected. Once granted, renewal fees are payable for the fourth and successive years, up to a maximum twenty year term.

UK PATENT APPLICATION

In order to put an application on file at the UK Patent Office and establish a filing date we need the following:

• Full name, address and nationality of applicant (s);
• Full details of the invention or a copy of specification, claims, abstract and drawings to be filed;
• Number, country and date of priority application (s) (if applicable).

In due course, to complete the filing requirements we will need:

• Details of the inventor (s) and the applicant's right to apply (e.g. date of an assignment);
• Certified copy of priority document and verified translation (if applicable);
• Formal drawings if not initially provided.

For filing UK patent applications, we can receive instructions from foreign associates by fax, email or post. No power of attorney, notarisation or legalisation is required.

Click here for filing a patent application in the United Kingdom.