Introduction to Patents
and Their Applications
APHRDI
Residential Training Program
Bapatla.
What is a Patent?
A legal protection which gives an inventor the right to
exclude others from performing certain activity in the
country of issuance
Sanctioned monopoly for a set number of years in
exchange for disclosure to the public
Does not give the inventor the right to make, use or sell the
patented invention
Why Patent an Invention?
Source of recognition for the inventor(s)
Incentive to develop a commercial product
License to an existing company
Start up a new company
Protection against imitators
What Can Be Patented?
Must be:
Novel: not previously known or used by others
Useful: have a known use or produce a concrete and
tangible result
Non-obvious:
Is it obvious to PHOSITA (Person Having Ordinary Skill In
The Art)?
Can not be found in a single or reasonable combination of
patents that would yield a predictable result
Can not be:
Idea
Law of Nature
Scientific Principle
Notable Events in US Patent History
1790: 1st US Patent Act entitled An act to
promote the progress of useful arts
1850: Introduction of the concept that an
invention must be non-obvious as well as new
and useful
1978: Patent Cooperation Treaty put into
effect; allows single worldwide filing
1980: Bayh-Dole Act Universities retain title
to results of Federally funded research
Publication Vs. Patent
Scholarly Publication
Authorship somewhat
negotiable
Must have done the work
Effort paramount
Future ideas can interfere
with subsequent patentability
Only directly comparable
results can lead to loss in
priority
Patent
Inventorship a matter of law
Constructive reduction to
practice encouraged
Conception paramount
Disclosure of ideas for as
many future uses as possible
strengthens the patent
Results from analogous
systems can result in prior art
and obviousness rejections
What are the Parts of a Patent?
Abstract
Background of the Invention
Summary of the Invention
Figures with brief descriptions
Detailed description or specification
Fully discloses what the invention is
How it is made?
How it can be used?
Claim(s): sets the legal boundaries of protection
Independent
Dependent
3 Different Types of Patents
Utility Patent
Most common type
granted
Works to produce a
useful result
Process (ex. making
a new chemical or a
new business
method)
Machine (ex. camera)
Article of Manufacture
(ex. carpet)
Composition of
matter (ex. adhesive)
Plant Patent
Distinct & new
variety of asexually
propagated plant
Not by tuber
propagation, found
in an uncultivated
state, or by seeds
Can also be
protected by a utility
patent if it meets
those requirements
Ex. hybrid rose plant
with a novel color
Design Patent
Ornamental
appearance of an
article of manufacture
Design and the
applied object are
inseparable
Can also be protected
by a utility patent if it
meets those
requirements
Ex. surface
ornamentation of
flatware
How Does One Obtain a Patent?
First assessment for whether or not the invention is patentable AND
marketable
File provisional application (~$10K)
International (PCT Application) (~$20-30K) non-binding
examination and allows an applicant to postpone the applications
for up to 30 months
US Utility Application (~$20-30K) binding examination
Examination rounds and appeals require more time and money
Total average cost of a US patent: $50K
Total average time to obtain a US patent: 3-6 years
BCs Approach to Obtaining a Patent &
Commercialization FILE PROVISIONAL
EVALUATE
APPLICATION (~$10k)
~3 MONTHS
DISCLOSURE
INITIAL PUBLICATION
Disclosure: Ideally when you can describe both what the invention is and what it accomplishes
Evaluation:
Can this invention be patented?
Is there any prior art? Is this invention new, useful, & non-obvious?
Is it worthwhile to patent this invention?
What product could come from this patent? Is there a market for said product?
Provisional application: Preserves worldwide rights against initial disclosure; gives you 1 year to decide whether
or not to pursue patent
Initial publication: If you publish prior to filing a provisional application you lose the rights to file internationally
BCs Approach to Obtaining a Patent
& Commercialization
FILE PCT
(~$25K)
12 MONTHS
PCT
PUBLICATION
6 MONTHS
8 MONTHS
RE-EVALUATION
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): an international application which claims priority
to a provisional US application & have option for protection for up to 111 countries.
Non-confidential disclosure (NCD) is generated and summarizes the technology
as well as the unmet need/opportunity.
During this phase more marketing & search for licensee should be completed. If
there is no market or the market is too narrow, then the application may not be
pursued past this point.
After the re-evaluation there may be additional publications with interesting animal
data, prototyping, or further commercialization
BCs Approach to Obtaining a Patent &
Commercialization
ENTER NATIONAL PHASE
& PROSECUTION(~$20K)
12 MONTHS
RE-EVALUATE
RE-EVALUATE
Continuation of marketing/finding a licensee as well as additional publications
National stage applications with expensive examination rounds
Rarely get this far in the patent process without a licensee
Overview of Pathway to Commercialization
FILE PROVISIONAL
FILE PCT
(~$25K)
APPLICATION (~$10k)
EVALUATION
3 MONTHS
DISCLOSURE
12 MONTHS
6 MONTHS
12 MONTHS
RARELY GET
THIS FAR
W/O LICENSEE
8 MONTHS
INITIAL
PUBLICATION
ENTER NATIONAL PHASE
& PROSECUTION (~$20k)
PCT
PUBLICATION
RE-EVALUATION
ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS W/
INTERESTING ANIMAL DATA,
PROTOTYPING, FURTHER
COMMERCIALIZATION
PATENTABILITY &
MARKETING EVALUATION
MARKETING/SEARCH FOR LICENSEE
GENERATE NCD
RE-EVALUATION
RE-EVALUATION
What are the chances of obtaining a patent?
Source: AUTM 2006 survey
What are the chances of licensing a
patent?
Source: AUTM 2006 survey
How much money can be generated
by a patent license?
Royalty Income to US Academic Institutions
$1,600
Royalty Income ($ million)
$1,400
$1,200
$1,000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
Source: A. Stevens, les Nouvelles, 38, 133-140, September 2003; AUTM Annual Survey
Examples of Successful
University Patents
Gatorade & U. of Florida: more than
$94 million in royalties since 1973
Google & Stanford: could earn more
than $200 million depending on how the
stock performs
Remicade & NYU: $650 million deal
with Royalty Pharma in May 2007
Boston Colleges
Commercialized Patents
ChiroTech: exclusive patent license catalysts for asymmetric olefin metathesis
1999; collaboration with MIT
Solasta Inc: thin solar technology, company
founded in 2006
GMZ Energy: nanotechnology based
materials, collaboration with MIT, patent
granted in 2007
Resources
For More Background
Information:
www.autm.net
http://www.ladas.com/Pat
ents/USPatentHistory.htm
l
http://www.bitlaw.com/pat
ent/requirements.html
http://www.columbia.edu/
cu/ogc/practice_areas/pat
ent_lic.htm
To Search for Patents:
www.uspto.gov
www.google.com/paten
ts
http://www.wipo.int/pct
db/en/search-adv.jsp
