Drafting a Patent Specification, Patent Office Examination Practice, PCT and Budapest treaty

SCOPE
What is a patent ? What is patentable? What is not patentable? Precautions to be taken before drafting a specification Contents of a specification Claims and their interpretation Examination practices PCT Budapest treaty

PATENTS : AN OVERVIEW
Patent : is a limited monopoly right conferred by the State in consideration of disclosure of the invention Steers vs. Rogers : what the letters patent confers is the right to exclude others from exploiting or using the particular invention

Solution/Invention

Application

Satisfaction of condition

PATENTABLE

INDIAN LAW & PRACTICE

First to file system

THE INDIAN PATENT OFFICE: an overview

Patent Office Head Quarters at Kolkatta

Mumbai

Chennai

Delhi

THE INDIAN PATENT OFFICE: an overview

Controller General Jt. Controller

Examiner

Dy. Controller
Examiner

Asst. Controller
Examiner

WHAT IS AN INVENTION? Sec. 2(1)(j)

Old

New
Invention means a new product or process involving an inventive step and capable of industrial application.
(with effect from 2003)

Invention means any new and useful

(i)art, process, method or manner of manufacture (ii)Machine, apparatus or other article (iii)Substance produced by manufacture and includes any new and useful improvement of any of them, and an alleged invention Dimminaco case

INVENTION

Fundamental research Improvement on existing art Solving unsolved problems of art/unaddressed issues Different approach

BEFORE DRAFTING
What is the invention ? Is invention patentable ? Is invention novel, inventive ? Prior art/prior disclosure ?
Oral disclosure ? Prior printed publication available to the public ? Prior public use ?

BEFORE DRAFTING:
VERIFY THE FOLLOWING: Conduct search Enlist problems in prior art What is the problem sought to be solved by the invention? What is the novelty? Is the solution obvious? Is it artificially excluded ? Has publication ensued? Ascertain the type of application -whether complete or provisional is to be filed Decide the area and nature of protection- Paris convention, PCT, ordinary application.

WHAT IS NOT PATENTABLE?

Inventions that cannot be patented are: Frivolous Contrary to well established natural laws Contrary to morality or injurious to public health (animals/plants) or to environment Scientific principle or abstract theory New property or use of a known substance Mere admixtures (as opposed in synergistic mixtures) and processes thereof Mere arrangement or rearrangement of known devices each functioning independently of one another in a known way Method of agriculture or horticulture Treatment of human being, animals including diagnostic methods Plants and animals in whole or any part thereof Essentially biological processes Mathematical or business methods, computer programme per se or algorithm Literary, dramatic, musical or ar6tistic work Method of playing games Presentation of information

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Public knowledge - known to persons in the art. A part of the mental equipment of those concerned in the art under consideration
Common general knowledge: All available public knowledge and all that is published

PUBLICATION
Kinds of publications: documents

papers or publications should provide

unmistakable direction/disclosure of the

invention

even single disclosure is sufficient - extent of publication/ availability of publicationimmaterial

PATENT SPECIFICATION
Read by:
Patent Office Licensee/Assignee Court Technical peers/skilled persons Competitors Commercial players General public

KINDS OF SPECIFICATIONS
PROVISIONAL
Kinds of applications: Conventional (Paris/PCT), non-conventional Divisional Patent of addition

COMPLETE

A PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION Pros & Cons

o
o o
o o o

when there is an Urgency commercial disclosure Submission of thesis

Inventors/Seniors leaving the company Accidental disclosure Many competitors

A PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
o

Is a document describing the invention and need not contain claims

Disclose as much as possible Decides the date of the application FORM 2 The following specification describes the invention

o
o

A PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION

o o

Specification can be amended to add new information at the time of filing To be completed in 12 months If not- post dating to a maximum of 6 months

A COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Is a techno-legal document, describing

and specifically claiming the invention

FORM 2 The following specification particularly describes and ascertains the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

PATENT SPECIFICATION
Description Claims

Description discusses the invention

Claims define boundary of monopoly

WHAT IS A COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

Section 10(4)
specification shall fully and particularly describe the invention and its operation or use and the method in which it is to be performed; discloses the best method of performing the invention which is known to the applicant and for which he is entitled to claim protection

DESCRIPTION

Description must describe the invention comprehensively Should fully explain the problem to be solved with examples No ambiguity Should be adequate and sufficient so as to enable a person skilled in the art to perform and repeat the invention without inventors further inputs

DESCRIPTION
To reflect that invention is:
novel

inventive
industrially applicable patentable under Indian Patent Law

CONTENTS OF THE DESCRIPTION

Title Field of the Invention Background of Invention Prior Art details Objects of Invention Statement of Invention Detailed description of Invention

TITLE

A concise statement providing the crux of the invention Care should be taken to incorporate all major aspects claimed Product-Process-Apparatus

EXAMPLE

Brush Vs. Cleaning Article

Pen Vs. Writing Instrument

OPENING DESCRIPTION / FIELD OF THE INVENTION

More details than the title Provides utility Sometimes used as a tool for search in the absence of abstract

BACKGROUND

Provides the technical background of the

invention

PRIOR ART

Is a brief write-up of what is known before the invention; sets out the problems associated with each of the known art; and describes the problem proposed to be solved by the invention In India, this is not mandatory

PRIOR ART
Different approach

Invention

PRIOR ART

Un-solved problems Prior art solution not working Describe new solution adequately

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Provides purpose of the invention

Main object(s) and Ancillary object(s)

Essential aspects and preferred/optional aspects.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

Statement forms the main claim or claims in verbal agreement

It is essential only when there is an omnibus claim(s).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

Sets out best mode of performing the invention

Describes the invention in greater detail with examples/illustration/tables/graphs/diagrams, etc Description sufficient to enable a skilled person to put the invention into practice

CLAIMS

The main claim defines the essential features and the sub-claims define the preferred / optional / additional features

CLAIMS
The important, main properties need not be merged into the other claim.
A separate claim has to be formed for the important feature(s).

CLAIMS

Is the operative part of the specification Defines the monopoly to be conferred by the patent Define the metes and bounds of the invention: at the time of infringement proceedings, only claims will be interpreted If you do not claim, you disclaim

Dos and Don'ts

Generic expressions should be substantiated /supported properly. The names/terms used shoud be familiar to the person skilled in the art. Any newly coined terms/named should be clearly described

Dos and Don'ts

Specification must describe the invention concisely should explain the problem solved fully with examples no ambiguity should be adequate and sufficient so as to enable in the art to perform the invention

Dos and Don'ts

Chemical Invention

Substance per se -broad coverage Substance can be defined in terms of nomenclature, general formula, structural formula, constituents, properties, constructional or structural features, use, etc

Dos and Don'ts

Product per se
Composition/synergy 2nd generation product enhanced efficacy Describe essential ingredients of product/composition Ratio/percentage of the ingredients Their effective amounts Any optional/additional ingredients

Dos and Don'ts

Chemical Invention Process a) b) c) Starting materials Steps of the process Various parameters involved in each step, and End product.

d)

Dos and Don'ts

CHEMICAL PATENTS Proportions: Provide a broad workable range unless an exact amount is crucial and essential to the success of the invention

Dos and Don'ts

CHEMICAL PATENTS Specify the class and specific chemicals used
Ex: All the oxidants that would enable the invention, all alkali/acids that would help to work the invention

DRAFTING
Fundamental research: PCR technique
Specification to describe general art
Approach adopted

Detailed enabling process

Best mode

DRAFTING
Avoid negative examples
Example; - Vast difference in the IC 50 values of anticancer drugs with two different hosts. -An anticancer drug effective against a subject may not be providing the similar result with a subject of another genus.

INDEPENDENTLY-WORDED CLAIMS

Easy to understand the invention

Easy to search Easy to license Easy to establish infringement

CHARACTERIZATION IN CLAIMS

Characterization not possible in many cases Need not be characterized

Even if characterized, sub-claims need not be restricted to characterized part

CHECK-LIST
VERIFY THE FOLLOWING:
Conduct search

Is the invention patentable?

Has it been published? Ascertain whether complete or provisional is to be filed Enlist problems in prior art What is the problem sought to be solved by the invention? Is the solution obvious? Non-patentable items

CHECK-LIST
Specific Indian requirements, such as
Deposition, Source and origin etc.

Collect all details, such as

Experimental data/examples/tables/graphs

Draft the text

DECODING EXAMINATION REPORT

OVERALL EXAMINATION PROCEDURE

Filing

Request for Examination

First Examination Report
12 months

Response

Discussion/Hearing Acceptance/rejection

FIRST PAGE OF THE EXAMINATION REPORT

OBJECTIONS OF THE EXAMINATION REPORT

HOW TO OVERCOME THE OBJECTIONS

STRATEGIES AND TIPS

Practice of retaining objections of International Search Report (ISR) & International Preliminary Examination Report (IPER) Unity of inventions/formalities leave to the Attorneys File detailed response as early as possible

Interview with the Examiner

Submitting expert evidence in support of Applicants view Citing precedents Indian cases/ Foreign cases of Particular relevance Grant of corresponding foreign applications, such as US/EP/JP

STRATEGIES AND TIPS

Seeking hearing ten days before the final date
Keeping options open to file patent of addition and/or divisional application for rectifying drafting and/or prosecution lapses or to prolong the prosecution Appeal- IPAB (Intellectual Property Appellate Board) or

High Court

STRATEGIES AND TIPS

PROSECUTION IS A NEGOTIATION - all the grounds of negotiation are applicable to

the prosecution

PCT (PATENT COOPERATION TREATY)

Signed by India, effective December 7, 1998 About 130 countries are members.

COMMON APPROACH
UK

ITALY

FIRST APPLICATION

JAPAN

WHY PCT ?
For protection in Multiple countries If patent has inherent merits

PCT IS THE ANSWER

PCT IS NOT AN INTERNATIONAL PATENT!!!!

WHAT IS PCT ?

PCT is a window through which an applicant can file a single patent application and secure priority in the designated states - procedure
Search Report: evaluates invention

Examination Report (optional)

HOW TO FILE A PCT APPLICATION ?

An applicant may file a PCT application in the

Designated National Patent Office

PCT HQ (Geneva)

THE PROCEDURE
Months Filing of priority -founding application Filing of International application Search report Amendment in response Publication of application

12 6 16 18

THE PROCEDURE
THEN THE NATIONAL LAW OF THE CONCERNED STATES TAKES OVER AND EVENTUALLY PATENT IS GRANTED

Budapest Treaty

India signed this treaty on 17th December 2001

Budapest Treaty

Deposition of the Microorganism for the purpose of Patent. Made available to public after grant

Budapest Treaty

International recognized depository

IMTECH- Chandigarh