The rules governing acceptable formal figures for submission with a UK patent application are changing on October 01, 2016.
The UK government have announced that the rules governing formal figures are to be relaxed. This means a broader range of images will be accepted for publication by the UKIPO in a patent application.
Key changes include:
- Shading in drawings is now allowed, so long as the shading does not obscure other parts of the drawing.
- Black and white photographs will now be acceptable, provided they are capable of reproduction and are clear.
Other UK patent rule changes are also taking place including practice on omnibus claims. For more information please see the UK government announcement here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-patents-rules-on-1-october-2016-and-6-april-2017/changes-to-patents-rules-on-1-october-2016-and-6-april-2017#relaxing-the-requirements-for-formal-drawings
Article Published September 6th, 2016
