Patent and trade mark services from FHS

Need help or support with your patent or trade mark?

SUMMARY OF SERVICES

  • Checking and auditing clients’ patent and trade mark portfolios.
  • Validation of European patents in the UK and other European countries.
  • Patent and trade mark searches.
  • Watching searches through recently published patent applications and trade mark registrations to provide an early warning of infringement risks and an indication of development and commercial activities of competitors.
  • Translations.
  • Renewal Service to ensure patents, trade marks and designs are kept in force.

Patent and trade mark search services

We can arrange various types of searches relevant to trade mark, patent and design registration issues through our professional searcher associates. Different types of search take different lengths of time to obtain and have widely different costs associated.

WHAT WE NEED

If we are to instruct an accurate search, we need as much information as you have on the proposed new product or idea. Samples of products can be helpful for designs and patents and samples of packaging for trade marks. For trade marks we need a good description of exactly what products are to be marketed under the mark. If you are aware of any competitors who hold relevant patents, trade marks or designs, it is helpful for us to have their names and, if available, details of the relevant patent, design or trade mark. Written instructions (by letter or e-mail) are preferable wherever possible as this enables us to relay your descriptions of products in your own words to our searchers rather than translate from our own understanding of your verbal instructions.

TYPES OF SEARCH

There are a number of types of search that can be carried out for patents, trade marks and designs. These include:

  • Name Searches
  • Availability/Prior Art Searches
  • Family Searches
  • WISS, RISS and KISS searches

There are a number of limitations to the searches we can provide which we would discuss with you in detail before instructing searches to be undertaken.

The above is a general outline only and should not be taken as legal advice. If you need more information or require advice, please contact us.

RENEWAL SERVICE

Ensuring your patents, trade marks and designs are in force can be time consuming and expensive. IP offices worldwide have differing requirements regarding renewal of patents, trade marks and design rights and have very precise procedures. If incorrect or incomplete information is provided you could lose your protection.

We store, maintain and update your details on our Records systems, ensuring you do not miss that crucial renewal, even if it is due in ten years time. Before the renewal date we will ask you whether you want to renew your protection or abandon the procedure, and notify you of the cost, including official fees.

We ensure that all your information is checked and we write to you three months beforehand, advising which patent or trade mark is due for renewal and in which country. Should you forget to respond we send a further reminder six weeks before the renewal date and a third reminder a month before.

If it is European or British renewal you will receive one final reminder from us when the British or European patent offices advise us that renewal is overdue. Only after four unanswered reminders do we allow your renewal to lapse.

After renewal is completed we forward you the official renewal receipt as confirmation.

The above represent general principles/guidelines only and should not be taken as legal advice. If you need more information or require advice, please contact us. Please see which of our specialists best match your discipline in the Partners & Staff section of this site.

Trademarks

Trade mark

Design & Copyright

Design & Copyright

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