Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

BUILDING A BUSINESS

Understanding the basics of patenting

Nature Biotechnology volume 38, pages 263–270 (2020)Cite this article

Some practical advice on how to protect research that you are seeking to commercialize.

For many academic researchers and would-be entrepreneurs, the world of intellectual property and patents can seem intimidating, opaque and difficult to navigate, especially for first-timers. A familiarity with the fundamentals of patents is important to work effectively with the professionals involved so that you can reach your shared goal of an issued patent. In this article, we provide an overview of the patenting process, focusing particularly on concepts that are key to understanding patent fundamentals and the process by which they are approved. After reading this primer on patenting, you will have a basic understanding of all the important steps and also pitfalls that you should consider when protecting your research for commercialization.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1

References

  1. Aboy, M. et al. Nat. Biotechnol. 37, 1118–1125 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Aboy, M., Crespo, C., Liddell, K., Minssen, T. & Liddicoat, J. Nat. Biotechnol. 37, 513–518 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank R. Kadle, partner at Hodgson Russ LLP, for her comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA

    Sadhana Chitale

  2. Partners Healthcare, Boston, MA, USA

    Colm Lawler

  3. SUNY Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Scott Macfarlane

Authors
  1. Sadhana Chitale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Colm Lawler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Scott Macfarlane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sadhana Chitale.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chitale, S., Lawler, C. & Macfarlane, S. Understanding the basics of patenting. Nat Biotechnol 38, 263–270 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-020-0447-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-020-0447-x

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing