Patenting an Israeli Idea

Can you promote an idea? Can you patent an idea? Are Israeli patents on inventions successful? Many Israelis have had great ideas as a result of a situation in which they have found themselves, or have had an idea how a problem can be solved – whether by a product or a process to enhance and facilitate an item or a process for potential users.

Is it possible to promote an idea that allows ease, efficiency or savings in a particular field or for a particular product? These are questions we are frequently asked. Is it possible to patent an idea? Firstly, we must ask the correct question, using the correct terminology. What is an idea? An idea is the initial step, whereby an individual has a creative thought how to improve, renew or solve a problem.

An idea as a thought cannot receive a patent and this thought must be advanced and refined in order to define it as an invention on which a patent can be awarded.  Usually, the crude idea will be refined by setting out its theory, i.e. discovering how the original idea can possibly be achieved. After some technical information has been included with the initial idea, the “idea” can usually be called an “invention”. If the invention can fulfill the criteria set out in Patents Law, it can be examined by a patent examiner and if it is found eligible for a patent, it will become a registered patent.

Registered patents confer monopoly rights to the owner of the invention; therefore many entrepreneurs use patents to help promote their business enterprise by registering a patent. In conclusion, the answer to the question “can an idea receive a patent” is that a patent cannot be registered on an idea, but often not much more thought or effort must be invested into the idea to refine and define, and turn the idea into an invention on which a patent application can be filed. Thus, after the process of turning an idea into an invention, it is apparent that Israeli patents that received patents in Israel and overseas, started from creative peoples’ ideas, which have been realized with a little more thought and effort.

Original Israeli inventions can be registered as a patent at the Israeli Patent Authority, as well as at patent offices around the world. One advantage to registering a patent is the ability to commercialize the rights to the invention through a one-time sale, by receiving ongoing royalties for the patent, or by other business means.

Sales of patents are an effective way for the inventor to receive an income for his invention without producing the product himself. This is effective in various fields, for example patents on applications or software patents according to the various laws of the target countries, as well as drug patents and many other varied fields from almost every area of life.