The wonderful world of patent drafting

Copyright Monday, March 17, 2008 Duncan Bucknell Company

Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Oxford University Press, Vol 3, No.2, Feb 2008

For anyone involved in patent litigation, it is abundantly clear that the task of drafting these infernal documents is not for the faint hearted. For their part, those who draft patents are acutely aware of the pitfalls which await their clients should there be a mere slip of the pen. This commentator is daily involved in the pre-filing review and prosecution of patents and, alongside clients, assisting lawyers in many countries with patent litigation. I, for one believe that the patent drafter must surely apply art and science in at least equal measures. To learn and maintain these skills is quite a task indeed.

Two recent books have done patent agents and patent attorneys and their trainees a great favour by making substantial contributions to the body of recorded knowledge on the subject of patent drafting. Paul Cole’s ‘Fundamentals of Patent Drafting’ published by CIPA, will surely go down in history as one of those legendary works and a ‘must-have’ for every patent agent or patent attorney’s library. Similarly, Gwilym Roberts’ book, “A Practical Guide to Drafting Patents” published in Sweet & Maxwell’s EIPR Practice Series, is an extremely practical guide for those wishing to learn more about this black art.

Read the full article, available for download at Oxford University Press' Journal of Intellectual Property & Practice.