Prior to filing a new patent application, Albright Patents recommends that you make prior art searches to ascertain as far as you can the state of the art. This will help us to target the novel and inventive features of your invention. If desired, we can obtain or make pre-application searches for you.

1. Albright Patents will prepare a draft patent specification for your approval based on your disclosure to us. Once approved, a patent application will be filed. The application will preferably include a description, claims, drawings and an abstract. This is known as a full application. Sometimes, in order to reduce up-front costs, applications are filed initially without claims and an abstract. We generally advise against this, unless absolutely necessary, because new subject matter cannot be added to a patent application, once filed. In other words, late filed claims are limited to the subject matter included in the specification on filing.
   
   
2. An official filing receipt is issued approximately 1 week later. Albright Patents will check that the details of the receipt are correct and report the same to you.
   
   
3. The Patent Office Search Report is issued within 4 months of payment of application and search fees. We will forward the Search Report to you and comment on its relevance.
   
   
4. Albright Patents will remind you of the possibility of filing corresponding foreign patent applications claiming priority from your UK filing. We will also file an inventorship form, if required.
   
   
5. Your application will be published 18 months from filing. A copy of the publication will be forwarded to you.
   
   
6. Substantive Examination of your application is requested within 6 months of the publication date (ie up to 2 years from filing).
   
   
7. The Examination report is forwarded to you on receipt, with an explanatory letter advising on further prosecution, as required. Usually, amendments to the claims and specification have to be filed with the Patent Office.
   
   
8. The application is eventually granted or refused, and we will report this to you. Once granted, annual renewal fees are payable to keep the patent in force for a maximum term of 20 years from the filing date. We will endeavour to remind you of the need to pay renewal fees and take your instructions annually. Alternatively, we can renew the patent every year until its expiry with no further instructions.

Patent applications are drafted at our hourly rate of £180 + VAT per hour and general UK patent service charges and official fees are set out below. Formalising Patent drawings for publication is typically charged at £60 per page.  For other service charges, please contact us through our contact page.

	Service Charges (£)	Official Fees (£)
Filing	225	30
Inventor form	60	-
Requesting search	175	100
Extra set of citations	-	15
Requesting Substantive Examination	205	70
Reporting official Actions, eg publication and grant	60	-

You may want to take advantage of our fixed price Package Deal for Private Inventors. For more information, please click here.

Please note that these prices exclude VAT, and do not include time charges for considering, advising and filing responses to the Patent Office.