Invention Patent - How to get it?

How to get an Invention Patent

Everyone at one time or another has had a light bulb moment where an excellent invention idea pops into your mind. For some, this is a regular occurrence, and there are thousands of people who have gone as far as designing plans and drawings. So why do so many people invent something and never take the leap to actually produce it? The answer, in most cases, is fear of having their idea copied or reproduced without being properly protected. Applying to have a patent on an invention can seem overwhelming, and many entrepreneur inventors allow themselves to be deterred by the process.

US Patent and Trademark Office

In the United States, a patent is absolutely the most full proof protection an inventor can have on a product. Unfortunately, those who tend to be inventors are very creatively minded and one visit to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website (www.uspto.gov) can be enough to scare them away for life! If you can afford to, there is always the option of hiring a costly patent attorney to look after the application on your behalf. While this does make the task easier, their time doesn't come cheap and it is likely you will be looking at thousands of dollars.

Legally, anyone who creates an original design and produces a product has protection under US federal law: No one else can copy or reproduce the invention for the initial one year period. It is after this time the risk arises for your ideas to be stolen, so a patent should be in place before then. More often than not you will feel safer if your invention is secured by a patent before you begin marketing plans: This means you won't have to worry about proof of ownership if it should arise that someone copies you. With an approved invention patent you are assured of legal protection for twenty years.

Whether you have recently come up with a great invention or you have a few old goodies filed away you have always wanted to come to fruition, there is no avoiding the patent application process. The best idea is to break it down into steps and thoroughly and methodically complete each part. You may want to enlist the help of someone you know who has had a patent or trademark before, and if you get really stuck you could hire an attorney for partial assistance and direction.

First, you need to be sure an invention patent is exactly what you need rather than copy write or trademark protection. Patents are for anyone who discovers or invents an original machine, process, composition of matter or an improvement upon any of those. There are other legal conditions and terms that apply relating to citizenship and the like, all of which can be found on the application forms. You must complete thorough searches online to be certain no other invention has a patent or pending patent that is similar to yours, and if there aren't any you can begin your own application.

To gain a solid understanding of the exact requirements for an invention patent, you should download and read thoroughly the forms from the USPTO website (http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/). You are advised to focus on titles 35 and 37, and use the laws and rules of patenting to steer you through: In most cases, actual application forms are not required, but they are available to use as a guide if needed. Study the patent laws and rules, prepare your information and drawings to specification and pay any processing fees.

You have to think of applying for the invention patent as a hill that is difficult to climb, but when you get to the top it will be downhill, easy and fun. If your idea is the gold mine you originally felt it was, you could be making huge profits either through selling the patent to a large firm or running the production and sales yourself. If there are any areas of concern or errors in your invention application it will be returned to you for correction and re-submission, which can slow you down, so do your best to read everything thoroughly. The most important thing is that you do not allow yourself to be daunted by the jargon and take the challenge on "by the horns" so to speak, because when you have the end result of a protected invention ready for production and profit, you will be extremely proud of all your efforts!

Another Patent article:

Patent Idea - How to protect your invention

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