Patent or Petty Patent Filing Services includes presenting a patent application comprising documents sent to a Patent Office to start the patent application process. In Kenya, the minimum content required at the first step – and in order to be able to claim that you have a “patent pending” – is a formal request for the grant of a patent, a description of the invention with the necessary drawings and one or more claims. This is necessary because KIPI will conduct a search as soon as you file an application, and they need to know what you are claiming as being your invention. In practice, most patent applications in Kenya will include a description, claims, abstract and drawings unless it is being filed in the absolute minimum period and there is time only to submit the minimum necessary information to gain IPRs date under provisional patent application. Further or revised documents may be added to the initial application later.

A patent application also refers to the document that the Patent Office publishes to let all interested parties know that you have applied for a patent and what is being claimed for the new invention. This Patent Application is almost universally published eighteen months after the first filing.

You can make a patent application on your own behalf, but it is more normal to use a patent attorney. The process is not only procedurally complicated, but the value that your patent will ultimately have depends on the quality of the patent specification that is written and the negotiations with the examiner as it goes through the prosecution stage. However, save time and money by outsourcing patent preparation and prosecution to a trusted partner to ensure you have accurate, consistent technical expertise and the fast turnaround you need to build and protect your patent portfolio.