Patent Services

In the UK

Collectively, our specialist patent attorneys have a wealth of experience in all aspects of UK patent law and can advise across a wide and diverse range of technical areas.

Our services include:

  • The procurement of patent protection, including:
  • General advice on patent filing strategies
  • Preparation of patent specifications
  • Filing all necessary papers at the Patent Office
  • Handling objections raised by the Patent Office
  • Advice and assistance in relation to infringements and attacks on validity
  • Advice on licensing and assignment of patents
  • Advice on ownership of patents
  • Liaising with barristers and solicitors in the conduct of litigation
  • Investigating the patentability of inventions and any risk of infringing third-party patent rights (see Information Services below)

In Europe and Worldwide

Working through the European Patent Convention (EPC), our patent attorneys are fully qualified to advise on all aspects of European patent protection. They have substantial expertise dealing with the European Patent Office, both attending Hearings and handling Opposition and Appeal procedures.

We also have extensive experience in filing international applications through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which potentially provides protection in most industrialised countries.

For countries not covered by the EPC or PCT, our extensive network of overseas associates enables us to provide advice relating to specific patent protection issues anywhere in the world.

Information Services

At A.A.Thornton & Co., our Information Services department rivals the capabilities of independent search organisations serving our profession.

Activities include:

  • Name Searches for patents/applications by a particular applicant/inventor
  • Novelty Searches to assess patentability of an invention
  • Infringement Clearance Searches to assess the risks of marketing a new product
  • Weekly/Monthly/Yearly Watches by name and/or subject classification
  • Subject Matter Searches, reviewing the current state-of-the-art in a particular technical field