Intellectual Property:
Release its potential
www.hgf.com
What is IP?
Craig Watson
European Patent Attorney
HGF Aberdeen
Intellectual Property
The way it works
Confidential
Information
A sign to distinguish
Effort and
originality
Looks
Balancing Intellectual Property
Encourages
investment and
sharing
Provides certain
rights to ideas
Trade Marks
M&S
Degrees of distinctiveness
Kodak
Innocent
Amazon
< Very Distinctive
Vodafone
Pizza Hut
Game
Very Descriptive >
Designs
Unregistered Designs
Pro-tec Covers v Specialised covers Ltd & Ots (EWPCC 18/10/11)
– Covers for Caravans
– Copying not shown
– Design Right still
present
Patents
• Must be ‘technical’
• The invention must be Novel
• Have an Inventive Step
New Use - Known Technology
Processes
Manufacturing
process
Riser
Configuration
New Use of
known tools
Software
Not patentable
but…
Halliburton Claim 1 (abbreviated)
i) A method to design a roller cone drill bit…
ii) initially designing the drill bit using …a parameter selected from type of
cutting element, size, configuration…
iii) simulating drilling portions of the earth formation…including one drilling
parameter from weight on bit, rate of penetration, rate of drill bit
rotation…
iv) modifying the drill bit design parameter for the drill bit;
v) simulating drilling portions of the earth formation with the modified drill
bit design parameter and the drilling parameter;
vi) comparing…
vii) outputting…
viii) calculating a three dimensional mesh for each cutting element….
Patent Application Timeline
Filing
date
Complete
Application Publication
0 months
12
18
Examination
30
Must be kept confidential!
Regular
Patent Grant
48
54
Patents
Patents
Patents
Europe
38 Member States including Norway
Central prosecution
Opposition effective throughout EU plus other
member states
• EU patent
proposed
USA
• Novelty consolation
• Business Methods
• Trolls
Key Points - Patents
• Must be ‘technical’
• File before you disclose
• Don’t pre-judge
Inventive Step
Intellectual Property
The way it works
Confidential
Information
A sign to distinguish
Effort and
originality
Looks
HGF Aberdeen
• Aberdeen based
• Energy Team
• Invention
Management
Assistance
Intellectual Property:
Release its potential
www.hgf.com
What is IP?
Craig Watson
European Patent Attorney
HGF Aberdeen