p. 42415. Nature of a patent
- L. Bently, L. BentlyHerchel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property, University of Cambridge
- B. Sherman, B. ShermanProfessor of Law, University of Queensland
- D. GangjeeD. GangjeeAssociate Professor of Intellectual Property Law, University of Oxford
- and P. JohnsonP. JohnsonProfessor of Commercial Law, Cardiff University
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the nature of the patent, with emphasis on the variety of ways in which patents are described, how they are drafted, and what they contain. It begins by looking at the types of patent in the UK and the two authorities that grant patents in the country: the UK Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office. It then considers the complex and difficult process of drafting a patent before discussing the four key parts of a patent, namely, an abstract, a description of the invention, one or more claims, and any drawings referred to in the description or claims. It also looks at some of the more common types of claims.
