Grants and patents are not evidence that it works

A press release, company page or funding announcement may say that a technology is patented or funded. That can look like a sign of progress. This guide explains what those facts do and do not show.

What a patent shows

The Intellectual Property Office's patents collection on GOV.UK says that patents help protect a product or process, for example machines and medicines.

The page does not say that a patent shows an invention works. A patent shows that a product or process has been protected. It does not show how well that product or process performs.

What a grant shows

Our methodology states the rule directly: "Grants and patents show that work is planned or protected, not that it works." A research grant shows that money was awarded for planned work. It does not show that the work produced a result.

Four checks a reader can make

1. Does the claim rest on a tested result, or only on a patent? A patent protects a product or process, so a patent on its own does not show that the product was tested. Look for test data in the source or in a paper.
2. Is there a published paper? Search for a paper with methods and results that a reader can check, and note whether it is peer reviewed or a preprint.
3. What is the grant for? Our methodology says grants show that work is planned. Read the award description to see what the money is for. Even a grant for a trial shows only that the trial is planned, not how it turned out.
4. Is the claim about performance? Our methodology says grants and patents show that work is planned or protected, not that it works. If the claim is about how well something works, look for a measured result.

How to use these checks

Treat a patent or grant as a reason to look further, not as a reason to believe a claim. If the checks turn up a published result with methods and data, the claim can be assessed on that result. If they turn up nothing beyond the protection or the funding, the claim is still unproven.

In Vrulum articles, we cite a patent or grant only for what it is: a sign that work is planned or protected. It does not stand in for evidence of performance.