Chartered patent attorney Cathal Lane from Tomkins & Co in Dublin shares some expert tips on applying for a patent:

• Keep it confidential before you file a patent application. Any form of non-confidential disclosure prior to filing can make getting a valid patent granted impossible. If necessary, confidentiality agreements can be employed in appropriate circumstances

• To be patentable, an invention must be new and inventive. And just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean someone else hasn't had the idea. Search patent databases (a good one is espacenet.com, a free patent database hosted by the European Patent Office) to find lots of ideas that you never knew existed. Will your idea make it if similar ideas have apparently failed?

• Consider whether keeping the information confidential as internal 'know-how' is a viable alternative option

• Consider other associated IP, like filing a trademark application for the brand name or product logo, or a design registration for the product's 'look' (its aesthetic appearance)

• Do a search yourself before you commit to the cost of a patent portfolio. Consider a specialist search by a patent attorney. Name-search your competitors on a patent database to see what they are up to

• Get advice on what is possible in your circumstances. Do a cost/return analysis to set a patent budget