UK Intellectual Property Office

All patent applications, regardless of the field of technology, must meet the basic requirements of being new, inventive and capable of industrial application, in order to be granted.

In addition, there are specific legal issues relating to medical inventions, as methods of treatment by therapy or surgery, or methods of diagnosis practised on the human or animal body, are not patentable under both UK and European patent law.

A large number of court decisions and European Patent Office decisions - including some very significant recent decisions - help to interpret these requirements. An understanding of medical patent law and practice will help anyone seeking to exploit innovations in medical technology.

For more information please visit us at stand number 43 at the Medical Innovation Forum on October 21st at the International Centre in Harrogate. www.ipo.gov.uk