Patent laws

robfosters · 29 Jun 2014 at 14:41

Bit confused about something.

Does a patent protect an idea or just a design?

What I mean, is if someone has patented an idea for something that fulfils a specific purpose, what options do you have if you do not believe the design is up to scratch and have produced a superior designed product to the one patented.

Nitefly · 29 Jun 2014 at 14:46

It protects an invention. In other words, a mechanism for achieving a particular solution.

There's some good background stuff on the IPO website.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent.htm

Dis86 · 29 Jun 2014 at 14:47

Best solution as gandalf would say;

Keep it secret, keep it safe!

Surveyor · 29 Jun 2014 at 17:55

Requesting an opinion

Pay the £200 and find out if your design infringes the patent.

gregorius · 29 Jun 2014 at 21:05

robfosters said:
What I mean, is if someone has patented an idea for something that fulfils a specific purpose, what options do you have if you do not believe the design is up to scratch and have produced a superior designed product to the one patented.

It depends very precisely on the claims that have been granted in the patent itself. An oft repeated pattern in patent claims is to start with a very precise and particular claim and then to surround it with rings of ever more general claims. If you have an idea in the same area, you have to check that you do not infringe any of the granted claims, especially those that have wider and more general scope.

Pawnless Endgame · 29 Jun 2014 at 22:56

Robocop, 1987, rectangle with rounded corners. Still, it didn't stop Apple and Samsung going at each others' throats over the last few years! They could have used the legal money to feed a few hundred African families instead :-)