Patents can be registered at the national Intellectual Property Offices, for example with the Ministry of Economy in the UAE.

Beside the national offices it is possible to apply for a multi-national protection, for example at the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) or the European Patent Office (EPO). After the patent drafting is finished, usually with the support of a patent attorney, the patent application can be submitted to the IP office(s) and the filing fees must be paid. The office then examines if the patent application meets the demanded requirements for a patent. During the process, the patent office can ask the applicant for amendments (such as scope of protection). If all requirements are met, the patent gets granted.

Requirements and registration process can vary between the different IP offices.

• The invention must be technical. If the invention is not of a technical nature, it will not be patentable.

• The invention must be new, meaning that it must not have been out in the open or known before. To ensure the invention is new, research is recommended.

• The invention must include an inventive step, meaning it must be inventive or not obvious. If your invention is obvious to a skilled person, it's not inventive and not patentable.

• The invention must be useful and capable of an industrial application, meaning that it can be made according to the claims and description contained in the patent application and can be made or used in an industrial setting.

The creation of a patent requires some creative and well-thought-out considerations and research. Inventors should pay attention to the following steps before registering a patent. The described steps do follow a chronological order but can be performed either one after the other or in parallel:

To determine if the idea/invention is novel, a search for prior art should be performed. Throughout the whole invention process, it can be beneficial to perform searches at different points of time corresponding to the actual development status. To search for prior art, please click here.

The idea development typically starts with novel idea or invention which the inventor believes is innovative and not already state-of-the-art and/or protected by a patent or utility certificate. Already, in this process step, the inventor should document his/her idea as comprehensively as possible, i.e. with sketches, diagrammes, documented trials, or prototypes (if applicable).

At this stage, the actual development of the technical invention takes place. This can include experiments, testing, and even the development of (functional) prototypes. The inventors bring their idea/invention "to life" in a technical application, or at least create a concept to do so. An important aspect of the development stage is the comprehensive documentation of the invention, e.g. with technical descriptions, notes, technical drawings/sketches, diagrammes, or even prototypes.

The inventor usually discloses his/her invention to a patent attorney (internal or external). The invention disclosure should capture all important information needed for the patent attorney to draft a patent application. To document the invention properly, invention disclosure forms are usually used. Such invention disclosure forms are provided on this page.

At this stage, the patentability of the invention is assessed by an IP expert (usually a patent attorney). The results of the prior art are taken into consideration to assess the novelty of the invention. Furter assessment should include legal, technology, product, and market/business aspects. Consulting professionals such as technology experts, product managers, sales managers, etc. could be beneficial.

The invention assessment should answer questions like:

• Is the invention new?

• Is it related to a product?

• Do we have freedom to operate?

• Which competitive benefit will a patent bring?

• Is an infringement detectable?

• Will the patent be enforceable?

• How is the market potential?

• Is the invention new?

As a result of the invention assessment, a decision should be made whether to register the invention as a patent or not.

The drafting of the patent application is usually performed by a patent attorney. It is recommended to reach out to such experts to make sure that the requirements of the application in terms of content, structure, and formality are met. In general, a patent application includes a title, an abstract with a short description, the description of how the invention is made and utilised, drawings of the invention, claims with the definition of the scope of protection and citations referring to former inventions/patents. To find professional support from a patent attorney please click here.

The submission of a patent via an online portal is possible in many IP offices in the world, including the UAE. As for the drafting, it is recommend to let the registration and prosecution be performed by a patent attorney or registered agent. To find professional support, please click here.

After the submission of the patent application, the examination at the IP office starts. After a first examination, the IP offices can ask for amendments, e.g. adjustment of the scope of protection. The applicant should then reassess his/her invention and decide whether to implement the requested amendments or drop the application. If, finally, all the requirements of the IP office are met by the applicant, the patent is granted. The duration, from submission to grant, varies from case to case and from office to office. For patents, the duration is usually between 2-6 years.