Apply for a UK patent

Before you apply

Patents are the most difficult form of Intellectual Property to obtain and the most expensive for you to enforce. Before you apply for a patent, we recommend you read our guide ‘Before you apply for a patent External Link’.

You should pay specific attention to the following:

  • even if your application is successful, it will take years before your patent is granted
  • you will be responsible for taking any legal action to enforce a granted patent, including paying any costs incurred
  • an annual renewal fee External Link must be paid to keep a granted patent in force; from 6 April 2018 rises to £610 for the 20th year.

Only 1 in 20 applications filed without the help of an IP professional successfully reach grant. If you have not already done so, we strongly recommend you seek the advice of an attorney before applying for a patent.

You can find a local patent attorney at www.cipa.org.uk External Link.

If you would like to discuss the patent application process you can telephone us on 0300 300 2000.