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.
	Ownership of Patents The legal right to own a patent vests with the actual inventor or inventors of the invention or, where the inventor(s) are employed, with his employers. In all other circumstances an assignment is necessary. In particular, inventions which result from work which you commission will not be owned by you unless you make specific provision for this when commissioning the work. Thus you should make it clear in writing to all outside contractors or consultants whom you use, and who are likely to make inventions, that all inventions and patents resulting from the work which they carry out on your behalf will be owned by you and that you will require assignment of all such inventions to yourself. 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.