Our main motivation in applying for a patent was to protect what we’d created. In 2014 we set out to build an algorithm that would personalise our online courses in a robust, data-driven way. As we made progress in understanding, and eventually overcoming, the challenges of building an algorithm that would perform well for learners, we felt we were generating ideas and solutions worth protecting.
We saw two routes to protecting what we had achieved: commercial confidentiality (keeping our inventions secret) or legal protection (applying for a patent).
That was quite a finely balanced decision for us at the time. Applying for a patent would cost money, and carry significant (but hard to quantify) risk of failure. But it would allow us to talk openly about what we had done without fear of our approach being mimicked. We could use our invention confidently, to its full commercial potential.
Besides this core consideration - that a patent application would give us protection while leaving us free to be open - we found there were other advantages to taking this route over keeping things confidential.
When a patent is granted, the protections apply retrospectively from the date the claim was filed. So as soon as we made the claim in 2014 we could market our idea openly, including talking about the patent application itself. Having ‘patent pending’ status piqued interest and helped start conversations, leading to partnerships and commercial opportunities.
Our patent attorneys (Christopher Smith and Robert Sackin at Reddie & Grose) are not only experienced in maximising the likelihood of success of a claim, but are also engineers and scientists by training - creative and rigorous thinkers. It was rewarding to have someone else articulate our idea better than we could have expressed ourselves. Rewarding but also valuable, for the patent application, for marketing, even for future product development.
Despite the length of time and costs involved in applying for a patent, and the uncertainties in which inventions are eligible for protection, the mix of benefits means I’m sure we made the right decision to apply back in 2014. If you face a similar decision, definitely speak to the experts, but from our own “layperson’s” experience here are four tips:
Another advantage of patent protection is the potential tax break on offer. In the UK this is referred to as the Patent Box, it allows businesses to reduce their rate of corporation tax on profits attributed to their patent(s).
Unfortunately Filtered's algorithm wouldn't qualify for this because the patent is filed in the US. Those with patents granted by the UK, European Patent Office or even EEA countries that generate an income in the UK, should look at this tax regime for the potential tax savings on offer.
The content of this post is up to date and relevant as at 15/09/2017.
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