Application patent registration
If you are going to launch an application or are planning such a move sometime in the future, it is very important that you know that you may be able to register a patent on it. Not every application is necessarily a patent, but in many cases the developers discover that the idea of the application and the technology behind it are innovative and unique, and they can be considered a patent that is highly recommended to be protected against theft by potential competitors. Here you can read more information about the concept of a patent, which applications can be patented, where patents are registered and why it is important to use the services of a reliable and professional development house to make every application a success and take advantage of the potential for patent registration.
What is a patent?
A patent is a legal protection granted by countries to inventors, confirming their exclusive rights to the invention for a specified period, usually 20 years from the date of filing. This exclusivity means that only the patent holder has the right to create, sell and distribute the invention or use it, preventing others from doing so without permission. Patents are designed to encourage innovation by providing an incentive in the form of a temporary monopoly to inventors in exchange for public disclosure of the details of their invention. To be patented, an invention must meet certain criteria: it must be novel, meaning it has not been publicly disclosed before. It should be non-obvious, meaning that even experts in its field could not easily think of it, and it must be useful, of specific benefit, substantial and reliable. Patents play a very important role in protecting intellectual property, fostering technological progress and driving economic growth by encouraging research and development.
What can be patented?
Patents can only be registered for innovative, non-obvious and useful inventions, but there is no specific field in which only patents are registered. This means that it is possible to register patents on new and improved products, on processes, on machines, on material compositions and work methods. Patents can be, for example, technological inventions such as algorithms, technological devices, chemical compounds, medicines and manufacturing processes. In order to register a patent it must not be publicly disclosed before filing, and it must present progress and improvement of the knowledge that exists today. The invention must also be useful and practical, meaning it must be simple to operate and provide a tangible benefit.
Preliminary check before sending the request
The most important part of the process of any patent application is a comprehensive and global search of that patent to make sure it does not already exist. This is a very important part that protects the inventor of the patent, and is especially critical because there is no need to start the process if it is not needed. In the context of registering an application as a patent, the importance is two-fold, and there are those who would prefer to avoid developing an application in advance if it is not possible to register it as a patent. This matter emphasizes the importance of working with experts in application development and marketing such as the WeDev company. Professionals in these places knew how to develop the best professional application, and they also know the complicated legal aspects and can help and guide in patent registration.
International patent registration
International patent registration is done according to the PCT treaty in which 155 countries in the world are members. The process includes submitting all the patent documents here in Israel, paying the fees and then waiting about four months for the examination of the submitted patent and receiving the approval from the patent examiner. You can then file a patent registration in the specific countries even after 19 or 20 months, during which time you can edit the application, introduce corrections and make adjustments if necessary. Of course, you can also apply for registration in only one or more countries, if you know that the target audience is this specific country to save yourself time and money. In the end it all depends on the product and if it is intended for a global target audience or for one specific country.
Patent registration in Israel
Registering a patent in Israel gives its owner exclusivity over it for 20 years from the date of filing the application. The advantage of submitting the application in Israel is that the process is convenient, accessible and simpler for those who are here and of course takes place in the Hebrew language. Its only disadvantage is the fact that the patent will be registered only here in Israel, and competitors abroad may take advantage of the opportunity and register the same patent in their name, and in fact steal your idea. In many cases it is definitely better to start and register the patent in Israel and then continue if necessary to other countries or for international patent registration.
Patent examination
After submitting the application for patent registration, the examination process begins with an official examination to ensure that all the required documents are present and complete. The patent office then assigns an examiner who will conduct a thorough search of existing patents and publications to determine if the invention is indeed innovative and original. The examiner evaluates the claims of the application, verifies that they meet the legal standards and that they are clearly defined. This process may include several rounds of communication between the examiner and the applicant to verify details or for additional purposes. If the invention meets all the criteria, the patent is approved and registered. In other cases, the application may be rejected or require additional updates and changes in order to receive approval.
How much does it cost to register a patent?
The costs of registering patents vary according to the various processes involved. Generally, an application to register a patent will cost between NIS 10,000 and 20,000, and a fast track application or provisional applications will cost between NIS 9,000 and 15,000. Filing a patent for PCT will cost several thousand shekels, as will filing a patent in the United States. A response to the exam report given after receiving it from the examiner will cost between 5,000 and 10,000 shekels. It should be remembered that the prices change all the time according to the accepted rates in the market and between one lawyer's office to another.
Application patent
So why should you actually register an application as a patent? We will soon talk about the dangers inherent in not registering, but first of all it is important to talk about two important concepts that need to be taken into account:
Copyright
In terms of copyright, patenting an app is the only way to make sure that no one steals your idea and uses it. The design of the product, your name and other intellectual property is protected by copyright, but the technological idea is not protected without a registered patent, and anyone can copy it under another name and even register a patent that prevents you from using it.
Protection when selling
An app patent provides legal protection by granting exclusive rights to the unique features, algorithms, or processes within the app. This exclusivity prevents others from copying or selling the patented components or using them without permission. Once you decide to sell the app, this protection will greatly increase its value by ensuring that competitors cannot easily replicate its innovative aspects. A registered patent can also deter potential thieves, attract investors and strengthen your overall standing in the market.
Why is it important to register the application as a patent?
Nowadays, almost anyone can relatively easily develop an application and put it on the market. Anyone who does not register their application as a patent does not actually establish any ownership over it, and any other person can develop a similar or identical application without any legal restriction, even one that is clearly based on the same idea. Moreover, if another person actually decides to register the application as a patent after you were the first to put it on the market, you may be exposed to lawsuits and you will be obliged to remove it from the market. That is why you must not take special risks and if it is indeed an application that brings an innovative idea to the world, do not hesitate and register it as a patent.
Key steps in the process of registering an application as a patent
Registering an application as a patent has three main steps:
First step: Examining the idea
In the first step, it is very important to thoroughly check your idea and understand if it does meet the criteria for a patent. It should be a completely innovative idea and one that no one has yet thought of, that this is a great advance in the field the patent deals with and that the invention is a useful invention and not just a theoretical idea that has no practical application. After you make sure that you do meet the criteria, you can move on to the next step.
Second step: checking an existing patent
Before you can actually file the patent, it is very important to perform a comprehensive and global check to understand that your idea does not yet exist and has never been published. Note that the idea must be published as a patent, and if you have found someone who has developed a similar application that is not registered as a patent, it is still possible to register it (at least theoretically) as your patent.
Third step: Submitting the application for patent registration
Now comes the registration phase of the patent, which is a net legal phase that is not short and usually not very cheap. One option to continue the process is to choose a lawyer or a law firm specializing in the field to do it for you, and the second option is to work directly with the company that developed the application for you. WeDev is an old and professional company that knows how to provide professional advice and support in the technological aspects of setting up applications as well as in the commercial aspect. This is an excellent option that consolidates all the required services under the same roof, and can save you a great deal of money, time and effort and simply streamlines the process.
What if the application does not appear in the patent database?
If you have registered an application as a patent and you find out later that it does not appear in the database, there was probably some mistake in the process and you need to examine it in depth. Here too it is very important to use professionals and preferably those who are not only from the field of law, but professionals who specialize in the development, establishment and marketing of applications. There are quite a few steps that can be taken and in such cases the right professionals will be able to help and solve the problem.
In conclusion
If you are on the verge of developing an application that brings an innovative and unique idea to the world, do not compromise on registering it as a patent in the patent database. It's important to remember that if you don't do this, the unique technological idea you came up with can be taken by anyone completely legally and you can even be prevented from using it in the future. The WeDev team of experts has already successfully accompanied hundreds of unique applications and ideas that have been registered as a patent and will be happy to offer this service to you as well. Contact us today for an initial consultation and guidance at no cost and without any obligation.