by Robert Orr, Patent Attorney in the Leeds office of UDL, Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys.

The healthcare industry in the UK is a vibrant, rapidly growing industry. Many different companies and individuals work in the field, a large number of which are involved in the development of innovative new technologies.

Bringing a new invention to market can involve significant input of time and money. It is therefore important that consideration be given to obtaining protection for these inventions. Additionally, it can be important to consider whether a particular research path is clear before proceeding. For example, a competitor may already hold rights in the area of interest. This is where the patent system comes in.

For example, obtaining patent protection for a new invention provides the opportunity to prevent others from exploiting the invention without permission. It is also possible to sell a patent, or to license others to exploit an invention which is the subject of a patent or patent application, on payment of appropriate royalties. Patent rights can therefore add significantly to the value of a business, and can help to maximise the value of money spent in bringing an invention to market.

Additionally, searches can be conducted to locate competitor patents and to obtain information on competitor activity. This can provide a steer on areas for possible future research and on those to avoid. Patent searches can also be conducted to assess the novelty of your own inventions, which can provide an indication as to whether patent protection can be obtained before you commit to further work.

In summary therefore, the patent system can be an important tool both in maximising the value of new inventions, and in assessing the risk of infringing rights held by competitors.