Collection

Intellectual property: Patents

A collection of guidance about applying for, managing and enforcing a patent. Patents help protect a product or process, for example machines and medicines.

• From: Intellectual Property Office
• Published: 21 September 2023
• Last updated: 20 December 2023 — See all updates

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Apply for a patent

• Apply for a patent
• Non-disclosure agreements
  • 12 March 2015
  • Guidance
• Patent fact sheets
  • 15 July 2022
  • Guidance
• Get your patent granted more quickly
  • 12 August 2016
  • Guidance
• Patent Prosecution Highway
  • 16 September 2024
  • Guidance
• National security checks on patent applications
  • 9 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Supplementary protection certificates guidance and forms
  • 28 July 2014
  • Collection
• Request UK processing of an international patent application

Search services

• Check the patents journal
• Search for a patent
• Patent classification
  • 24 October 2017
  • Guidance
• Search patent decisions
• Monitoring patent applications
  • 23 January 2025
  • Guidance

Forms and fees

• Patent forms and fees
  • 22 January 2025
  • Guidance
• How to file documents with the Intellectual Property Office
  • 13 September 2024
  • Guidance
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) fees
  • 2 December 2024
  • Collection
• File documents for a pending UK patent
• Intellectual Property Office: how to pay us
  • 9 July 2024
  • Guidance

Managing patents

• Change or update your patent
• Renew a patent
• Get copies of patent, trade mark or design documents
• Licensing intellectual property
  • 23 January 2025
  • Guidance
• Amending your patent after grant
  • 20 June 2014
  • Guidance
• Requests to amend a patent after grant
  • 24 September 2025
  • Guidance
• Apply for restoration of a patent
  • 27 January 2015
  • Guidance

Objecting, challenging and resolving patent disputes

• Defend your intellectual property
• Observations about patentability
  • 23 January 2025
  • Guidance
• Patents: filing proceeding at the IPO
  • 24 April 2019
  • Guidance
• Ex parte hearing procedures
  • 22 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Opinions: resolving patent disputes
  • 19 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Requests for opinions
  • 21 July 2025
  • Collection
• Patent disputes resolution: hearings
  • 21 May 2015
  • Guidance
• Patents: hearing diary
  • 15 October 2025
  • Notice

Patent protection abroad

• Protecting your patent abroad
  • 19 December 2023
  • Guidance
• Extension of UK intellectual property rights abroad
  • 9 July 2024
  • Guidance
• Patent Cooperation Treaty for private applicants
  • 20 March 2025
  • Guidance

Patents Act, rules and practice

• The Patents Act 1977
  • 10 October 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• The Patents Rules 2007 and Patents (Fees) Rules 2007
  • 24 October 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Patents sections: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
  • 31 October 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Patents: Manual of Patent Practice
  • 1 October 2025
  • Guidance
• Patent directions
  • 26 April 2023
  • Collection
• Patents practice notices
  • 25 July 2024
  • Collection
• Patents Formalities manual
  • 22 January 2025
  • Guidance

Research

• Intellectual property research: Patents
  • 9 November 2021
  • Collection

Published 21 September 2023

Last updated 20 December 2023 + show all updates

1. 20 December 2023

   Added link to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protecting-your-patent-abroad

2. 21 September 2023

   First published.