Patents

APPLYING FOR A PATENT
You have been working on an innovation. This could be a new & innovative invention, or a process. That invention can be physical or virtual/software. The development of new products often take time, effort and money. In cases like this a patent normally tends to be a good way to obtain an exclusive right.
But there are many kinds of other good reasons to apply for a patent. You gain knowledge to your business and, by doing so, add to its value. It makes investors feel more certain and makes it possible to licence the invention or sell it.
SO, WHRE TO BEGIN?
First we sit down and talk. Before we actually start to draw a patent we need to find out if an application can lead to a commercially relevant patent. We will also talk about the actual invention and its technology. Is this a one man operation? Or are there multiple stakeholders/partners? Do you need to protect your ideas before talking to external parties?
We will be honest with you. If we have doubts about the feasibility of an application or the value this patent can add to your business, we will share this with you. We want the time, effort and money you invested in your inventions to be well spend. If another kind of protection suits you better, we will offer you alternative solutions.
SETTING GOALS
When we are both sure that we have the same mindset as you, we get started. We want to be effective both in long term and short term. We aim to write the best application for your innovation, so we are very thorough. It is like finding the Golilocks zone. The application needs to cover your invention as broad as possible, but not too broad.
That is why we carry out an exploration to find relevant patent literature. This helps us get a clear picture of the invention and contributes to the quality and effectiveness of the application.
A patent application is both a legal and technical document and therefore not (most of the time) easy to read and understand. But we make sure you and other authorities will be able to understand exactly what we are claiming to have invented.
When we have finished the patent application, we file it with the proper patent granting authority. This is in most cases the Netherlands Patent Office (NPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO). The NPO/EPO will need some time to do some research to find out if it new and inventive enough. You can only become the proud owner of a valid patent right if both these conditions have been met.
COSTS OF PATENTS?
The costs of applying for patents depend on many variables. It is a bit like asking what a car costs. The complexity of the invention, is it easy to distinguish it from other patents? Does your invention appear in other forms or shapes as well? These factors all add or subtract to the costs/time/efforts to apply successfully. That is why we first want to have a meeting with you. After many questions are asked & answered we can make an estimate of the expected costs.
direct consult
We can imagine you might have questions. Please feel free to get in touch.