Unleashing Growth through the Art of Patent Drafting

July 27, 2023

Thirty people spent a week huddled around everyday objects. Mundane objects, in this case a hammer and a staple remover, would never look the same to them again. These innovation change makers converged in Geneva to hone their patent drafting skills. Their shared goal: learn how to transform ideas into valuable assets. After a week, participants gained that and something more – an international network of professionals.

The group began their journey months before arriving at WIPO’s doors. As participants in the International Patent Drafting Training Program (IPDTP), they were at the halfway point of an 8-month hands-on learning experience. This groundbreaking program, now in its second edition, is a collaborative effort between WIPO and the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI). Delivered in three phases, it starts with a comprehensive distance learning module, providing students with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of patent drafting. Next, participants engage in a practical workshop, where they put these skills to practice. The Program finishes with mentorship, offering students a chance to get individualized feedback to enhance their patent drafting skills.

Perspectives from around the globe

What sets the IPTDP apart is its global approach. To gain traction, most inventions will be destined for multiple markets. Which is why patent professionals need to craft their applications with the world in mind. The Program’s instructors, hailing from – the United States of America, United Kingdom, South Africa, and India – shared their deep knowledge of both patent drafting and the nuisances of dialing in applications for different countries. Between them, the team had more than 77 years of experience combined.

 “I did not expect the diversity of instructors, they are precious minds. I have gained knowledge of patent drafting in different jurisdictions. Each tutor has their style and guides you on organizing your claims,” said Soad Essam Abueldahab, Intellectual Property Head at EVA Pharma, Egypt. The exposure to different drafting styles and practices gives participants critical insights into drafting stronger patent applications. “It is the turning point for patent drafters,” said Yigremachew Eshetu Wolde, Assistant Professor, Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia.

A commercially focused approach

A quality patent application needs to do more than describe an invention. It has to anticipate how others could implement the same core idea with small tweaks. This is a core focus of the Geneva Workshop. According to Simon Njuguna, Graduate Assistant at the Directorate of Intellectual Property Management and University Industry-Liaison, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya “I have learnt to ask the right questions from the invention disclosure form and think about if I were a competitor how would I infringe on the claim.” 

Simon, like other participants, plans to spread the knowledge he gained through the Program, to take his university to the next level. “It is my desire to draft better and share the same concepts I have learned with my colleagues.”

With simple objects like a hammer and a stapler, the students practiced how to draft patent claims. The students applied the concepts they learned, thinking about the functionality of these tools, their purpose and other possible uses, and the exact terminology one can use to draft a patent for such tools. In the final exercise of the workshop, a mock infringement trial, the students found that language takes a whole new meaning – providing clear and concise description of the hammer, its component parts and its purpose, and not only that, but how the specific hammer was different from other tools that serve a similar purpose.

Learning from each other

During their time in Geneva, participants work together through group exercises. This teamwork approach enables learning to happen from instructor and student alike. The group focus also has another goal – building bonds between these emerging professionals. This year, participants came from 23 countries and thanks to the generous funding from the Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global and other funders that provide scholarships, at least 18 participants received funding to attend the workshop. For some of the participants, they are the only professional with drafting skills in their country.  That can be lonely work.

After the workshop, participants no longer feel alone. Jessica Hernández Galeano, IP Scientist at AGP eGlass, Colombia described her time in Geneva. “It has been great meeting people from all over the world and understanding different perspectives to approach patent drafting. I have made a lot of friends and a huge network of amazing people.” Perhaps most importantly, all the participants “share the same passion for IP.”

Practice makes perfect

Now participants will put what they learned to the test. Over the next few months, they will work on exercises in their own field of expertise. In each exercise, they will receive personalized feedback from the instructors and tips to improve their practice. They will benefit from the group feedback sessions on the exercises, where the instructors will take them through common mistakes in the exercises and provide further guidance in drafting. In addition, the student will participate in discussion forums thereby learning from each other. 

Ready to improve your patent drafting skills?

Registration for the next International Patent Drafting Training Program will open at the end of 2023. Send a message to join our mailing list.