Guidance

Patents Formalities manual

Guidance on the procedures the Intellectual Property Office follows when examining the formalities of patent applications.

• From: Intellectual Property Office
• Published: 8 July 2014
• Last updated: 22 January 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 22 January 2025

     IPSUM is no longer available and has been replaced by search for a patent.

  2. 31 March 2017

     Formalities Manual (online version) added.

  3. 23 September 2014

     Chapter 8 updated (Aug 2014)

  4. 8 July 2014

     First published.

Documents

Formalities Manual (online version)

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/formalities-manual-online-version

Details

This manual provides detailed guidance practice and procedures we follow in formalities examination of patent applications under the Patents Act 1977 and associated rules. It covers UK patent applications and the national phase of Patent Co-operation Treaty applications.