In this article, Rob Valkass, one of our patent advisors and former senior examiner at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO), explores the process for protecting inventions and designs in the UK, the benefits of choosing the UK over other jurisdictions, and how we can now offer you even more comprehensive support for protecting your innovation and creativity around the world.
A quick overview of patents and registered designs

A patent protects an invention’s functionality: how it works, what it does, and how it’s made. To be granted a patent, your invention must be new, involve an inventive step, be capable of industrial application, and not be excluded from patent eligibility. A patent offers up to 20 years of protection for your invention.
A registered design protects a product’s appearance: its shape, pattern, colour, decoration, and configuration. This is ideal for products where visual appeal is a key differentiator. A registered design can typically last up to 25 years.
The benefits of choosing the UK for filing a patent application
When you decide to file a patent application, you must choose which country to file in first before deciding whether to expand to other countries or regions. Choosing the UK as your first country offers several strategic advantages.
Speed
If you file your patent application in the UK, you will normally receive a combined search and examination report within six months. This is much faster than other jurisdictions. For example, you could be waiting three years for the European Patent Office to start their examination process.
The UK also sets a deadline of four and a half years for a patent application to be ready for grant. This can stop the process dragging on for many years, giving you, your competitors, and your investors more certainty about the protection your patent gives you.
But what if you need the process to move even faster? Perhaps you suspect someone has already copied your invention, or you need a quick decision to help with a funding application. The UK offers several flexible options to accelerate the patent process, including a scheme specifically for environmentally friendly inventions. An accelerated patent application is assessed in only two months and can be granted within around eight months!
Cost
The official fees charged for patents in the UK are exceptionally low. While the official fees to get a patent granted at the European Patent Office come to €5335 (about 63000 NOK or £4500 in July 2025), the official fees charged in the UK are only £310 (about 4300 NOK or €365)!
The UK also allows longer applications with more claims than other countries. An equivalent application filed in Norway would cost 19125 NOK (about £1405 or €1625) in official fees, for example.
Starting with the UK is therefore a very cost effective way to test the patentability of your invention before deciding whether or not to expand across Europe and the world.
Flexibility
Although quite formal on paper, the patent examination process at the UK IPO is fairly informal in practice. Examiners in the UK are happy to discuss applications with us by phone and email. This means we can better understand any objections the examiner has and better explain your invention and our arguments. This not only leads to a smoother, cheaper, and more efficient process all round, but can lead to a better scope of protection in the UK than might be obtainable elsewhere.
There are also usually more opportunities to make changes to your patent application in the UK compared to the European Patent Office, and no time limit for requesting further searches of alternative inventions, giving you more opportunity to try different approaches to reach grant.
Global leverage
Unlike some countries, the UK does not offer utility models, petty patents, or other similar forms of protection. Instead, every patent application goes through the same rigorous and highly respected search and examination process. The UK’s specialist patent courts and judges are also reliable and respected around the world. This means that other intellectual property offices often take notice of what happens to your patent application in the UK. Getting a positive search report, examination, or grant in the UK can therefore ease the patent process in other countries.
Under a program called the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), a granted UK patent can be used to formally accelerate processing in 29 different countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and the USA.
A unique registration system also allows granted UK patents to be easily re-registered in several territories in Africa, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and elsewhere. A granted UK patent can be a quick and inexpensive way to extend protection for your invention to these countries.
Credibility
Your competitors and investors also understand the high quality of the UK IPO’s patent searches and examinations. Getting your patent granted in the UK is a strong signal that you may get the same protection in other countries. This can be a powerful deterrent to your competitors who might be thinking about infringing on your patent, as well as boosting the value of your invention in the eyes of potential investors.
What about registered designs?
A registered design is the perfect choice to protect a product which is characterised by its look and feel rather than how it works. Once registered, you can use your design to help you protect your product from copycats on marketplaces like Alibaba and eBay.
Compared to patents, registered designs are simpler, quicker, and cheaper to obtain. The official fees for a UK registered design start at just £50 (about 680 NOK or €60 in July 2025) for a single design, ranging up to £150 (about 2040 NOK or €175) for up to 50 designs in the same application. In Norway, the official fees start at 2470 NOK (about £180 or €210) for the first design and an additional 1690 NOK (about £125 or €145) for each design after that.
There is also no lengthy examination process – just a quick formal check that the drawings are self-consistent and suitable for reproduction. Your design is then registered – usually within three weeks.

How can Håmsø Patentbyrå help you?

For more than 75 years, Håmsø Patentbyrå has helped innovators around the world protect and defend their intellectual property. Our dedicated team of patent attorneys, trademark lawyers, and design advisors can offer you honest advice and a tailored strategy to best protect your innovation. If protection in the UK is right for you, then our Chartered UK Patent Attorneys will use their expertise to guide you every step of the way.
Contact Us now for a free no-obligation consultation with our expert team.