01 / From invention to application
Patent practice / Founder experience
Turning technical detail into a protection strategy.
Patent drafting, searches and prosecution coordination across international portfolios.
Hong Kong intellectual property. Worldwide perspective.
Your ideas.
Built to go
further.
You’re building something that matters. From patents and trademarks to designs and copyright, we help you decide what to protect and how to move forward—with your business in view.
Founder-led. Personally involved.Meet Satendra Kumar Bajpai ↗ONE PRODUCT. FOUR KINDS OF VALUE.FIG. 01
01 / THE INVENTION
Protect how it works.
Inside a product are technical choices. Patent work starts by understanding which of those choices may be protectable.
Explore patent support ↗02 / THE IDENTITY
Protect what people recognise.
The name on a product carries a different kind of value. A trademark strategy connects that identity to the goods, services and markets that matter.
Explore trademark support ↗03 / THE APPEARANCE
Protect the details people notice.
The casing is more than a container. Its contours, proportions and visual details can deserve a protection strategy of their own.
Explore design support ↗04 / THE EXPRESSION
Protect the work behind the work.
Technical drawings, original documentation and creative materials raise their own questions about authorship, ownership and permitted use.
Explore copyright support ↗Move to inspect · drag to rotate · select a perspective.
Original illustrative assembly. Not a client invention or a granted patent.
A joined-up view of your intellectual property
The SKUBA perspective
Intellectual property isn’t just about what you own. It’s about what you can build with it.
01 / Technically fluent
We take the time to understand what makes your work different.
02 / Business-minded
Protection with a purpose, grounded in your commercial priorities.
03 / Personally involved
Clear conversations and a founder-led approach to your next step.
Our expertise
[ 01 — 06 ]Different ideas.
A considered approach.
From a first invention to a growing international portfolio, we help you see the whole picture—and the details that matter.
Inside an optical focusing assemblyFIG. 02
- 01 Guide & housing
- 02 Optics & carriage
- 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 ↗
Inventions & technology
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.
A patentability assessment and a freedom-to-operate review answer different questions. Your brief should make clear which decision the work needs to support.
- 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
One brand, several commercial touchpointsFIG. 03
- 01 The sign
- 02 The offering
- 03 The markets
01 / Decide what identifies the business
The same illustrative sign appears on a carton, a product and a digital display. A useful starting point is to identify the word mark or visual sign the business intends to use.
02 / Connect the mark to the offering
Bring the product, packaging and goods-and-services brief into view. The application plan needs to reflect what the business offers, rather than treat a name as detached from its use.
03 / Prioritise the markets
The market brief separates current and planned territories. Discuss searches, filing routes and timing for the places that matter to the business; a single filing is not universal coverage.
“YOUR BRAND” is an illustrative placeholder, not a SKUBA logo, client brand or registered mark. Trademarks basics · WIPO ↗
Names, identities & reputation
Plan protection around the name people will remember.
Before you invest in packaging, a launch or another market, take a closer look at the name and signs behind the business. We help connect trademark searches, goods and services, filing priorities and portfolio care with how your brand will actually be used.
Start with three things: the sign you will use, what you will sell and where you need protection. A filing plan needs all three.
- Trademark searches and preliminary assessments
- Goods and services specification support
- Application and filing coordination
- Examination-response coordination
- Portfolio, renewal and ownership reviews
- Multi-market brand protection planning
A study in form, surface and consistent viewsFIG. 04
- 01 Overall form
- 02 Surface detail
- 03 Multiple views
01 / Consider the visible form
Explore the silhouette of an original table-lamp concept: its domed shade, curved stem and base. The focus here is appearance, rather than the engineering that makes the lamp work.
02 / Look beyond the outline
Highlight the shade’s ribs, edge treatment and selected surface details. A design discussion should identify which visual features and product variants deserve closer consideration.
03 / Keep the representations consistent
Compare perspective, front and side views of the same object. These are illustrative study views, not filing-ready representations; the appropriate image set depends on the jurisdiction and the design.
Original product-form study—not a client product, registration or filing-ready design drawing. Registered designs basics · WIPO ↗
Product appearance & visual identity
Give the product’s appearance the same attention as its engineering.
A distinctive silhouette, surface pattern or carefully resolved product form may deserve its own protection strategy. We help you identify the appearance to consider, organise consistent representations and coordinate filing plans before the next disclosure or launch.
The drawings and images are not an afterthought. The visual material and the product features under consideration need to tell a consistent story.
- Design-feature and portfolio reviews
- Representation and drawing coordination
- Disclosure and launch-timing discussions
- Application and filing coordination
- International design protection planning
- Renewal and maintenance coordination
The work, the contributors and the permissionsFIG. 05
- 01 Original material
- 02 Contributions
- 03 Permission to use
01 / Identify the original material
A publication, artwork and source-code sheet represent different forms of creative expression. Start by identifying the works involved rather than treating the entire project as a single undifferentiated file.
02 / Trace the contributions
The layers separate to make the material easier to discuss. Who created each part, when was it made, and what agreements or third-party inputs need to be checked?
03 / Connect ownership to intended use
The permissions record comes forward. Discuss who may publish, adapt or license the work, for what purpose and on what terms. Possessing a copy is not the same question as permission to reuse it.
Illustrative original materials—not a copyright registration, legal instrument or client work. Copyright basics · WIPO ↗
Creative work, content & software
Original work has a business life beyond the first draft.
Software, artwork, publications and commercial content can involve several creators and several intended uses. We help you organise the work, examine ownership and permissions questions, and coordinate the next steps for protection, licensing or a concern about copying.
Identify the original work, the contributors and the intended use. Payment, access to a file and permission to reuse it should not be treated as the same question.
- Original-work and rights reviews
- Contributor and ownership enquiries
- Permission and licence-scoping support
- Software and creative-content IP support
- Relevant registration coordination
- Copying concerns and specialist coordination
01Understand
Assets, decisions and information gaps
02Investigate
Evidence, context and focused analysis
03Prioritise
A roadmap for the next business choice
Commercialisation & business decisions
Build an IP plan around where the business is going.
A useful portfolio is not simply a larger collection of filings. We connect patent and technology analysis, protection priorities and commercial context to help you decide what to investigate, what to maintain and where to focus next.
Start with a business decision—not a target number of applications. The work should make a product, investment or market choice easier to evaluate.
- IP portfolio and priority reviews
- Patent landscape and technology analysis
- Patent and non-patent literature research
- Technology and product roadmapping
- Commercialisation and market-readiness support
- IP input for funding and investment preparation
01Identify
Know-how and sensitive information
02Control
Access, handling and disclosure
03Coordinate
Agreements and specialist input
Know-how, continuity & risk
Some of the business’s most valuable work should stay out of public view.
Processes, technical know-how and commercial information deserve more than a general instruction to keep things confidential. We help you identify sensitive material, review how it is shared and coordinate the practical and specialist steps needed around it.
A confidentiality agreement is one part of the picture. Access, handling and the way people actually share information also deserve attention.
- Confidential know-how identification
- Information and access-practice reviews
- Disclosure and collaboration planning
- Confidentiality and ownership issue-spotting
- IP agreement and licence coordination
- Specialist support for related IP issues
Every engagement is scoped to your needs and the relevant jurisdictions. Local representation, regulated legal work and specialist advice are coordinated with appropriately qualified professionals where required.
How we work
A clear path.
Not a pile of
paperwork.
You don’t need all the answers before we talk. We help you make sense of the options, set priorities and move forward with a plan that fits your business.
01Understand the idea
We start with the decision in front of you: a launch, a filing, a new market or an ownership question. Together we identify the relevant assets, the people involved, the target markets and any approaching disclosure or deadline.
A shared brief, known deadlines and an agreed scope
02Map the options
We distinguish the work that would answer your question: a search, a rights review, drafting, filing coordination or a more focused investigation. We explain what each step is intended to resolve and where further local input is needed.
Clear priorities and the purpose of each next step
03Put the plan to work
We carry out or coordinate the agreed work and keep the technical brief connected to the filing or commercial objective. Responsibilities and specialist involvement are made clear, with appropriately qualified local practitioners involved where required.
Organised work, defined responsibilities and clear updates
04Keep the business in view
A new product version, licensing discussion or market expansion may change the plan. We help you revisit the portfolio and its purpose, so maintenance and further protection are considered alongside the way the business is developing.
A reasoned basis for the next portfolio decision
An international outlook
Based in Hong Kong.
Thinking beyond
borders.
Your business may start in one place. Your ambitions don’t have to. We support clients around the world and coordinate IP work across the markets that matter to them.
One conversation, a coordinated international strategy.
Technical and commercial context kept together.
Local professional input where the matter requires it.
HONG KONG
OUR BASE. YOUR POINT OF CONTACT.
OUR BASE. YOUR POINT OF CONTACT.
Local context. International coordination.
Connections are illustrative, not office locations or a guarantee of coverage. Jurisdictions and representation are confirmed for each matter.
Experience behind the advice
[ Selected perspectives ]Technical depth.
Real-world context.
A selection of our founder’s earlier professional and academic experience—the perspective he brings to conversations at SKUBA.
02 / From insight to direction
Business strategy / Founder experience
Connecting IP decisions to the road ahead.
Patent-led technology analysis, product roadmaps and commercialisation planning.
03 / From research to readiness
Research & mentoring / Founder experience
Helping the next idea find its footing.
IP and entrepreneurship guidance for postgraduate innovation and product projects.
These are summaries of the founder’s background, not SKUBA client case studies. No client names, confidential matter details or claimed outcomes are published.
Meet the founder
Good IP advice
starts with
listening.
Engineering mindset.
Commercial perspective. Human approach.
Satendra Kumar Bajpai is the founder of SKUBA. His work brings technical understanding and business thinking into the same IP conversation. His background spans patent drafting and prosecution, technology analysis, IP strategy and commercialisation support.
His professional experience includes patent and technical advisory roles in Hong Kong and India, alongside research and student mentoring at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. That combination shapes a practical approach: understand the idea properly, explain the options clearly, and keep the business objective in view.
- MScTechnology Leadership and EntrepreneurshipThe Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
- MTechTechnology ManagementDefense Institute of Advanced Technology
- BEMechanical EngineeringSri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Vishwa Mahavidyalaya
For people building
something of their own.
Ideas worth understanding
A little clarity.
A better next step.
Practical notes for the decisions that happen before, during and beyond an application.
01 / Patents / Before launch
Before you share an invention, pause here.
A practical preparation note for founders planning a pitch, product launch or technical disclosure.
Read the note 02 / Trademarks / Brand decisionsA brand name is a business decision. Treat it that way.
Questions to ask before committing to a name, a launch campaign or a new market.
Read the note 03 / IP foundations / A joined-up viewOne product. More than one kind of intellectual property.
Why the mechanism, identity, appearance and supporting work deserve different questions.
Read the note 04 / International strategy / Choosing marketsThink globally. Make the decisions market by market.
A practical framework for bringing business priorities into an international IP discussion.
Read the noteA little clarity
Good questions.
Straightforward
answers.
IP can feel unfamiliar at first. Here are a few useful starting points before we talk.
Have a different question?I have an idea. Where should I start?
Start with a high-level description of the product, technology or creative work, your target markets and any planned launch or disclosure. Avoid sending confidential technical detail in an initial enquiry. We can first discuss scope and an appropriate way to share sensitive information.
Can you help if my business is outside Hong Kong?
Yes. SKUBA is based in Hong Kong and works with clients on international IP matters. We can help plan and coordinate work across target markets, with local professional input where required. Specific jurisdictions, representation and scope are confirmed for each engagement.
Does one registration protect me worldwide?
There is no single worldwide patent. Patents are territorial, and international application routes do not replace the decisions of national or regional offices. Trademark and design protection also require a market-specific strategy. We can help you understand the relevant filing options and their limits.
Read WIPO’s patent FAQ ↗
Read WIPO’s patent FAQ ↗
What is the difference between a patent, a trademark and a design?
In broad terms, a patent concerns an invention, a trademark identifies the commercial source of goods or services, and a registered design concerns a product’s appearance. Copyright concerns original creative expression rather than the underlying idea. A single product can involve more than one type of IP.
Explore the types of IP · WIPO ↗
Explore the types of IP · WIPO ↗
Should I file before showing my invention or design?
Public disclosure can affect the availability of patent or design protection. Rules and exceptions differ between jurisdictions, so do not rely on a general grace-period assumption. Raise any publication, pitch, sale or demonstration plans before you disclose.
More on disclosure · WIPO ↗
More on disclosure · WIPO ↗
Do I need to register my copyright?
In most countries, copyright protection arises automatically without registration. Voluntary registration or deposit systems exist in some jurisdictions and can have practical benefits. Ownership, evidence and enforcement considerations depend on the work and the relevant market.
Read WIPO’s copyright FAQ ↗
Read WIPO’s copyright FAQ ↗
Can you review an existing IP portfolio?
Yes. A review can consider the rights you hold, their ownership, geographic scope, upcoming actions and relationship to your products and business priorities. The scope can also include patent intelligence, due diligence support and commercialisation questions.
What happens after I request a conversation?
Use the booking calendar to choose an appointment option from SKUBA’s public Cal.com event. Complete the booking there and follow the status shown and any confirmation instructions. The separate enquiry form prepares an email or WhatsApp message for you to send; it does not book an appointment. Please do not use either route for urgent deadline instructions.
Do you handle disputes and legal representation?
We can help assess the IP context, organise relevant information and coordinate appropriate specialist input. Court representation and jurisdiction-specific regulated work need to be handled by appropriately qualified professionals. The roles and scope of everyone involved are agreed for the matter.
No matching questions. Try “patent”, “copyright” or “appointment”, or send us your question.
General information only, not advice on a particular matter. Rules differ by jurisdiction. WIPO links provide independent background on IP fundamentals.
A conversation, not a commitment
Make room for
your next idea.
Let’s talk about what you’re building, where you’re heading and the IP questions worth asking next.
Keep the first conversation non-confidential. Scope and any engagement are agreed separately.
SKUBA / INTRODUCTORY IP CONVERSATION
A good place to start.
Open the calendar to see the appointment options published by SKUBA. Check the time zone shown before choosing a slot.
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Your next chapter
Let’s talk about
what’s next.
A new idea, an existing portfolio, or a question you’re still working through. Tell us a little about it. We’ll take the next step together.
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