A patent agent will advise on using related rights such as trade marks, designs and trade marks to protect aspects of the invention and may be able to advise on commercial exploitation of the invention. We strongly recommend using patent agents if you wish to apply abroad. A directory of patent agents is available on the web, sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents. There is no longer an initial fee for applying for a British patent. And if you are a manufacturer, researcher or inventor it could certainly be worth your while knowing what your competitors and others are patenting.
Patents information is a huge source of technological and commercial intelligence.
You will need to search through all the patents in force in the countries in which you are manufacturing or selling. This can be done in the patent library or by using patent databases. Unless you have a licence from the owner of the patent you will not be able to make, use or sell something which has valid patent protection but you might be able to use the invention for research purposes, for example. The invention may be patented only in some countries or may have expired or lapsed in which case the technology may be available for anyone to use - if you think this is the case, you should check that no other intellectual property rights exist before copying the invention. Within twelve months of filing an application for a British patent it is possible to apply for a patent in many other countries on the basis of the initial filing.