INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Authorship and reserved rights
Disclosure warning: Publicly describing an invention can affect patentability. UK IPO guidance states that an invention generally needs to be new and may not be patentable once it becomes public knowledge. Keep potentially patentable technical details confidential and obtain patent-attorney advice before publishing them.
UK IPO — before you apply for a patent · UK IPO — non-disclosure agreements
Author / originator
NameToby DuffieldRecord typePublic authorship and provenance recordScopeOriginal qualifying expression and other legally protectable subject matter actually created, subject to applicable law and third-party rights
What is not claimed
This record does not assert ownership over abstract ideas, public facts, legislation, third-party material, independently created work or lawful criticism. It also does not imply that mentioning a concept creates patent rights.
Practical protection controls
- Preserve originals and versions.
- Use written assignments/licences for commissioned or collaborative work.
- Use NDAs for genuinely confidential information where appropriate.
- Consider trade-mark, design or patent protection where the subject matter qualifies.
- Obtain specialist advice before public disclosure of potentially patentable or design-sensitive work.