How can young inventors protect and commercialise their IP?

One of the initial steps in an inventor’s IP journey is to protect their idea with a patent. However, a patent protection journey can be technical and costly. Navigating the patenting process often requires professional know-how in various areas, including how to file patents, how much of the invention to disclose, how to respond to office actions relating to the patent application, or the potential areas of growth for the invention.

If you’re a young inventor and looking to patent your invention, tap on the WIPO Inventor Assistance Programme (IAP). The pro-bono professional services and advice provided through the IAP will provide greater clarity on the patenting process and allay some of the cost concerns that you may have regarding engaging professional help.

As the patenting process varies for different inventions, the programme will also provide you with customised support by matching volunteer patent attorneys or agents based on the area of your invention.

A lively dialogue session, featuring tips and lessons from fellow Singapore youth innovators, marked the launch of the IAP.

The pioneer batch of volunteers from the Association of Singapore Patent Attorneys (ASPA) who will provide pro-bono patent services and advice to help young inventors protect and commercialise their ideas.

Here are some additional tips from the panel of youth entrepreneurs who shared insights from their innovation journey, at the IAP launch event.

“Here’s a tip aside from protecting your idea – find and focus on your early adopters. Every business has a target market, define that, and direct your resources there. For example, find the distributors or channels that are already reaching your target audience and work with them”, shared Gavriel Tan, co-founder of Altimate Nutrition.

“Your invention might comprise multiple types of IP, beyond what’s protected by patents. For example, you could protect the copyright of the source codes, designs of the interface and trade mark your brand. Come up with a checklist and you will be better able to protect them effectively”, said Kelvin Ho, Chief Researcher of igloocompany.

“Your IP journey is not likely to be straightforward. As you continue to experiment and ideate, you need to decide what you want to reveal, which key markets you want it in and how best to protect it. Getting the right specialists will help you chart your IP journey, whether it’s patents, trade marks or other IP,” said Anna Lam, co-founder, Crunch Cutlery.

Find out more about the WIPO Inventor Assistance Programme (IAP).