You Have Got a New Product Idea! Now What?
New ideas and new products and technologies are very important factors in a process of making economy better, more dynamic and healthier. How and why so? Simply, because innovative products are being brought to life due to necessity to survive and succeed in a realm of free market competition. Such products find a fast track to manufacturing and distribution and create from hundreds to millions jobs. Thus, the more we innovate- the more jobs we create. Many creative people have new and great ideas for new innovative products. Unfortunately, far not all of them know what to do with these ideas and how to turn them into products. Yes, the process is not easy. Many amateur and even many professional inventors believe that the only way to protect their idea is by hiring a patent attorney and obtaining a patent. While this is definitely a true statement, it is not the only way. Some inventors learn how to patent their valuable intellectual property themselves, saving a lot of money in a process.
First, inventors must know that USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) http://www.uspto.gov provides a lot of valuable help and advice to inventors and a lot of information on how to patent your idea can be found on USPTO web site. During the process PTO examiners can be contacted for advice on the process and application status inquiries.
In 1995 in an effort to make it easier and safer for independent inventors to market their inventions USPTO has created a process of Provisional Patent Application. Such application is somewhat easier to create without necessity to use expensive services of a patent attorney and it costs considerably less than a full patent application. Current cost of Provisional Patent Application is US$110. It provides "Patent Pending" rights to the applicant and protects the idea for full 12 months. This time can be used by inventor to market his invention to potentially interested corporations and to prepare for submission of a full patent application. Danger of Provisional Patent Application is that if it is not turned into a full patent application within 12 months, inventor may loose right to patent his idea, ever.
There are many books and sources, which teach amateur inventors patenting process. One of such invaluable sources of wisdom and legal and procedural information is a book by experienced patent attorney David Pressman "Patent It Yourself". In his book author gives basic understanding of the patent application process and also describes a great number of PRO advices.
First, inventors must know that USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) http://www.uspto.gov provides a lot of valuable help and advice to inventors and a lot of information on how to patent your idea can be found on USPTO web site. During the process PTO examiners can be contacted for advice on the process and application status inquiries.
In 1995 in an effort to make it easier and safer for independent inventors to market their inventions USPTO has created a process of Provisional Patent Application. Such application is somewhat easier to create without necessity to use expensive services of a patent attorney and it costs considerably less than a full patent application. Current cost of Provisional Patent Application is US$110. It provides "Patent Pending" rights to the applicant and protects the idea for full 12 months. This time can be used by inventor to market his invention to potentially interested corporations and to prepare for submission of a full patent application. Danger of Provisional Patent Application is that if it is not turned into a full patent application within 12 months, inventor may loose right to patent his idea, ever.
There are many books and sources, which teach amateur inventors patenting process. One of such invaluable sources of wisdom and legal and procedural information is a book by experienced patent attorney David Pressman "Patent It Yourself". In his book author gives basic understanding of the patent application process and also describes a great number of PRO advices.
