Preliminary Patentability Assessment
A Preliminary Patentability Assessment is conducted when a prior art search identifies existing documents that could challenge the patentability of an invention. Under these circumstances, the IP&M Helpdesk, in collaboration with Patent Attorneys, will provide an evaluation similar to that performed by patent office examiners.
Inventors will be asked to draft a detailed description of their claims, which will then be compared with pre-existing documents that could conflict with patentability requirements, such as:
- Novelty: is the invention truly novel?
- Inventive step: does it involve a significant technical improvement with respect to the state of the art?
- Industrial application: is it suitable for industrial processes?
What Will a Researcher Gain from a Preliminary Patentability Assessment?
This assessment may help researchers both to
refine and adjust their invention in order to highlight its unique improvements compared to the existing state of the art, thus
increasing its chances of successful patenting.
