PATENTS Background; The Patent Specification; Filing a Patent Application; Ownership of Patents; Foreign Applications; European Patents; Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT); The Paris Convention; First Publication; The Granted Patent; Product Marking; Summary of Stages of Progress of typical British Patent Application.
	Foreign Applications Generally speaking a patent in any one country gives you protection against manufacture, sale or hire of the patented product or process in that country. Importation into the country counts as infringement; so does manufacture in the country and immediate export to another country. By and large, in order to obtain protection in other countries, it is necessary to obtain separate protection in each country to be covered. There are some exceptions, however: he patent is granted, although note that it is possible under certain circumstances (see above, under First Publication) to obtain damages for infringement which occurs prior to grant. For patents in chemistry, metallurgy, biochemistry and biotechnology, contact Stephen Wilkinson in our Bristol office. For patents in physics, electrical engineering, general engineering and computing, contact Chris Boydell or Sarah Perkins in our London office or David Marles in our Bristol office.