2. The advantages of the Soleau envelope

Two essential levels of innovation protection need to be addressed.

• The first is to ensure that you can exploit an improvement on existing techniques, by using a sealed envelope known as a "lettre Soleau". This type of envelope and the procedures to follow are available from INPI (Institut national de la propriété industrielle). This protection guarantees recognition of the invention's anteriority; consequently, even if a third party takes out a patent on the subject, you can continue to exploit the innovation, without having to pay a royalty to the applicant. The price is less than 20 euros (2012 value).

• The second step is to apply for a patent on the innovation in question. In this case, you'll need to prove that the subject of the application does indeed constitute innovative progress. In most cases, unless...