Sometimes the local patent is called a confirmation patent or a patent of importation. The procedure provides Applicants with simple and cost-effective protection for their patent rights in jurisdictions which they might not otherwise necessarily consider including in their patent portfolios.

 

In general, a registration of UK national patent worldwide has to be applied for within 3 years from the date of grant of the UK patent, but there are some exceptions and we urge you to enquire with us if this may be important to you.

 

[As an alternative to registration of a foreign patent, some countries have independent patent systems with a mere "local novelty" requirement for patentability, although these are becoming less and less important as the information revolution conveys knowledge around the world. In such countries a local national patent application may be available if the invention still has local novelty. If this is of interest, it is important to act quickly - without waiting for the UK patent to proceed to grant - or local novelty may be destroyed by others out of your control.]

 

 

	UK or EP (UK)	Any foreign patent
Caribbean	• Cayman Islands (no deadline) • Grenada • Guyana • Anguilla • Montserrat • British Virgin Islands • St Lucia  • Turks and Caicos Islands (5 years)	• Haiti
Asia-Pacific	• Brunei Darussalam (can also register patent of Malaysia or Singapore)- phasing out- depends on basic filing date • Fiji • Hong Kong • Kiribati • Nauru (can also register Australian or US patent) • Solomon Islands • Tuvalu • Cambodia (can also register patent of China or South Korea, depending on basic filing date)	• Nepal
Africa/Indian Ocean/Middle East	• Seychelles • Sierra Leone	• Democratic Republic of the Congo • Ethiopia
Atlantic/Mediterranean/ Black Sea	• Bermuda • Gibraltar • Jersey • Guernsey (no deadline) • Falkland Islands • St Helena • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

 

Updated November 2022.