I am both a kit obsessive and a chartered patent attorney, and have read the posts concerning patent protection with interest.
There is no doubt that the patenting process is expensive and patents should very much be seen as a business tool - they are not, sadly, a licence to print money. Any discussion of intellectual property with a patent attorney should include this being pointed out to a potential client. Despite the potential for a very limited short term gain, it is not in our interests to encourage clients to make ill-advised applications. Just as Alpkit want happy customers, so do we!
As Nick mentions, patent attorneys (who should all be members of The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys - CIPA http://www.cipa.org.uk/pages/Patcomm) usually offer a free initial consultation, and I would recommend that anyone who thinks they may like to patent an invention take advantage of this opportunity. The CIPA website can be searched to find a registered local attorney.
The UK Intellectual Property Office http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ is also a good source of information, and they have a central enquiries unit that can be called for free intellectual property advice. There are also many government-backed regional-support programs (for example, the Welsh Innovation Network in Wales) that can provide more commercial advice and potentially help with the funding of a patent application.
I would also like to make people aware that there are less reputable “Invention Promoters” out there. While some of the schemes are legitimate, many promise a lot, charge correspondingly, and deliver very little. When dealing with such companies, it pays to be very wary and I would advise that professional advice is taken before parting with any money.
Cheers
Rhys
