In this article: Patents can protect how an invention works or how it looks. Utility patents cover function. Design patents cover ornamental appearance. Early planning, careful recordkeeping, controlled disclosure, and a well-prepared filing all support a better patent process. Some ideas change how a product works. Others change how it looks. Both can hold [...]
If you have an invention that you’re interested in protecting, you may have heard that you should be careful who you tell about it. This is good advice, but how do you know who to tell and when? What consequences are there for disclosing an invention under U.S. law, and what recourse is there [...]
How to Apply for a Patent in Washington If you have a brilliant idea that has the potential to improve the quality of life of millions, filing for a patent is the best way to protect yourself and your invention. Whether you intend to file a provisional or non-provisional application for your patent, a professional [...]
The process of applying for a patent can be complex, and getting a patent attorney to assist you in your patent filing can make the process less intimidating. In this article, we’ve provided information that will help you understand how patents work to protect your intellectual property and how an intellectual property lawyer can help [...]
A patent is one form of intellectual property protection. In exchange for public disclosure of an invention, a patent provides an owner with the legal right to exclude others from making, using, selling, or offering to sell an invention for a limited period of years. There are three categories of patents: utility, design, and [...]
What goes into a patent application? What kinds of inventions are patentable? These questions cannot be answered easily, because patents can cover a lot of things. While quick patent research online may give definitions about patents, it cannot comprehensively explain all the necessary aspects of patent law and the application process followed by the [...]
Patent law is an important subject, but few know very much about it. There is a lot to know about how you can apply for and obtain your own patents. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) accepts and examines all patent applications. There are three different kinds of patents: design patents, utility patents, [...]
A patent grants patent owners exclusive rights over their inventions for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention. Obtaining a patent will prevent others from making or selling what you invented, but a United States patent won’t protect your inventions internationally. Read on below to learn about patent protection in [...]
Intellectual property represents an estimated 75% of a company’s valuation. With that in mind, the process for filing a patent application might be something you need to learn more about. Patents grant an inventor a limited-term monopoly in their invention. They protect you from any competitor making, using, selling, or importing your invention. This [...]
Independent inventors who want to pitch their creations to potential manufacturers risk having their ideas stolen. Getting these third parties to sign a nondisclosure agreement even before seeing the invention is highly unlikely. Fortunately, a device called the provisional patent application (PPA) has been authorized by Congress to help protect your intellectual property while [...]
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