SKUBA
Hong Kong base / International coordination

Patents.
Start with what’s different.

Understand the invention. Decide what is worth protecting.

A prototype, a technical improvement or a new process can raise very different IP questions. We help you examine what is new, decide what to investigate and prepare a filing plan around your product, markets and next business decision.

Inside an optical focusing assemblyFIG. 02
Exploded optical focusing module with a cutaway housing, guide rails, lens carriage, toothed collar, retaining rings and fasteners.
  1. 01 Guide & housing
  2. 02 Optics & carriage
  3. 03 Drive & fasteners

01 / Find the technical relationship

Separate the housing, optical cells, guide rails and fasteners. A patent discussion starts with how the parts work together—and what is technically different—not simply with the way the finished product looks.

02 / Follow the movement

The drive collar and helical track illustrate rotation being translated into lens travel. An invention brief should explain the problem, the mechanism and its possible variations.

03 / Explain it clearly

The technical-drawing view strips away the material finish. Drawings help explain an invention; the scope of a patent is not defined by the drawing alone.

Original illustrative mechanism—not a client invention, an engineering validation or a granted patent. Patents basics · WIPO ↗

Technical detail, translated into a practical course of action.

You may be preparing to disclose an invention, deciding whether to file, responding to an examiner or assessing a product before launch. We begin by understanding the problem, the proposed solution and the alternatives—not simply by asking for a finished patent draft.

The technical brief sits alongside the commercial one: where the product will be made and sold, what is about to become public, who contributed and which decision is time-sensitive. That context helps us agree a useful scope before work begins.

How we can support you

  • Patentability and prior-art searches
  • Patent drafting and filing coordination
  • Office-action and prosecution support
  • Freedom-to-operate and landscape studies
  • Portfolio reviews and maintenance planning
  • International filing strategy

How the work fits together

  1. 01

    Define the invention and the search question

    We organise an invention discussion and identify the features, variations and supporting information that deserve closer attention. A search brief can then distinguish a patentability question from a technology-landscape or freedom-to-operate question.

  2. 02

    Develop the application and filing plan

    For the agreed scope, we prepare drafting work, organise technical drawings and coordinate filing requirements. Target jurisdictions, applicant details and disclosure timing are considered together; local professional input is arranged where required.

  3. 03

    Work through examination and portfolio decisions

    We support the review of examination reports, coordinate responses and revisit the commercial purpose of the application as the matter develops. Maintenance and next-market decisions should stay connected to the business, rather than become automatic paperwork.

A search is a decision tool, not a guarantee.

Patentability asks whether the invention may meet the requirements for protection. Freedom to operate considers relevant third-party rights in the intended activity and market. A positive answer to one is not a substitute for investigating the other. Scope, jurisdiction, information availability and timing all matter.

A useful brief for our first conversation

  • A non-confidential description of the technical problem and your proposed solution.
  • Target products and markets, plus any planned launch, publication, pitch or exhibition.
  • Existing application references, relevant drawings and contributor details—shared through an agreed channel after the initial discussion.

You do not need a polished specification to start. Tell us the business decision you are facing, and we can agree the technical information and work needed next.

A useful starting point: Before you share an invention ↗

Services, deliverables and responsibilities are agreed for each engagement. Jurisdiction-specific regulated work and local representation involve appropriately qualified practitioners where required. General information is not advice on a particular matter, and no search, application or commercial result is guaranteed.

Background reading: WIPO — Patents ↗. General principles vary in application by jurisdiction.