Our Services
We are a full services Intellectual Property firm offering Intellectual Property advice and the filing and obtaining of Patents and Registered Designs globally.
Our areas of practice fall into the following categories. We welcome all queries, please contact us for a consultation.
Drafting and Preparing Patent Specifications
To begin the patenting process, it is necessary to have a patent specification professionally prepared to capture your invention or design. This may range from a basic provisional specification to a complete patent specification suitable for filing internationally or even, in some instances, for the purposes of targeted enforcement.
We are experts at drafting patent specifications, moreover, we are able to draft specifications to your specific needs quickly and in a cost-effective manner. Get in touch with us and we guide you through the process and options, and we will assist you with getting the specification ready to begin the patenting process.
Applying for a Patent or Design
Applying for a patent or design starts by putting in an application to the relevant Government department that will administer the IP rights for that country. Typically these departments are known as IP Departments or Patent/Trademark/Designs Office.
The application process may include specific governmental procedures which must be followed and these are all different between each country. We can advise you on the most effective solution to conduct the filing and/or complete the filing for you in accordance with your requirements in Hong Kong, China or Worldwide. There are numerous options and we will help you choose the most effective option that suits your business needs.
Patent/Design Prosecution
A patent/design application may be subject to a search and examination where it is checked for compliance with the legal requirements before it is granted to you. These requirements include a few different criteria but typically includes a test for novelty (whether it is new) or inventiveness (that the invention is not obvious).
It is not uncommon that an Examiner may suggest some changes or raise some objections to an application. It is then our job to find and submit arguments and/or amendments to convince the Examiner to withdraw the objections. In many instances, the objections can be overcome. With our principal being a former Patent Examiner, you can be assured that we are well versed in the different office procedures and mindset of Patent Examiners when we prepare a response to argue in your favour.
Validity and Infringement Advice
Litigation Support
Due Diligence
You could be the subject of a potential or present infringement suit, or you may also be considering the enforcement of your own patents or designs against another party. We can assist in this process by performing patent searches on your behalf, reviewing the patents or designs against an offending product or search results, and providing you with advice as to infringement or validity of the patent or design. This advice may then be used by you for further valuation or other commercial or legal purposes.
Litigation or the commencement of legal proceedings against another party do take place from time to time due to disputes regarding infringement of IP rights. When working with you, we may work in conjunction with a specialist litigation lawyer to see that your rights are enforced or defended as best possible under the circumstances.
As part of any business transaction relevant to IP, it is important to make sure that any claims as to the ownership of any IP is checked before the transaction is completed. Not all IP is created equal, and not all IP is relevant or valuable to a business or venture. We can thoroughly review any specific IP on your behalf and advise you as to the validity, relevance or value of the IP before you proceed with a valuable transaction.