How do you obtain a patent?
To obtain a patent, a patent application has to be filed with the Patent Office of the country in which protection is sought. It is also possible to file international patent applications, for example with the European Patent Office. The patent application contains a technical description of the invention and has to meet certain legal requirements in terms of form. As patents are examined property rights, Patent Offices check the patentability of an invention before a patent is granted.
The basic procedure from application to patent is similar in most industrialized countries and is outlined here in respect of the European Patent Office: