Do It Yourself Patents
For those who cannot afford to dish out thousands of dollars
for a patent lawyer, do it yourself patents can be a great
alternative. Do it yourself patents can be done if you are
up to the challenge. It is not impossible although the biggest
drawback on do it yourself patents is that you don’t have
the luxury of a professional advice.
There are some advantages on
do it yourself patents that you cannot overlook though. Do
it yourself patents could certainly save you money. Also,
do it yourself patents enables you to learn several skills
most especially in research. In do it yourself patents the
most basic step is to make sure that your invention qualifies
for a patent or what you call patentable. Also, if you want
do it yourself patents you need to describe all aspects of
your invention. Some steps on do it yourself patents are easy,
others are more difficult. As with all new endeavors, you
will succeed by trial and error. But by taking the process
of do it yourself patents one step at a time, you can acquire
a patent later on.
The following are the basic
steps on do it yourself patents:
- Keep a careful record of your
invention. In do it yourself patents it is important to
keep a record of the invention process in a notebook. Sign
and date each entry and have two reliable witnesses sign
as well.
- Make sure your invention
qualifies for patent protection. In do it yourself patents
you need to show that your invention is new, non-obvious
and useful.
- Assess the commercial potential
of your invention. Before you spend the time and money to
file a patent application, you need to research the market
you hope to enter.
- Do a thorough patent search.
To make sure your invention is new, you need to search all
the earlier developments in your field. This involves searching
U.S. (patents, as well as other publications like scientific
and technical journals, to find related inventions.
- Prepare and file an application
with the USPTO. This step on do it yourself patents lets
you have a choice when you file with the USPTO. You can
file a full-blown regular patent application (RPA) or you
can file a provisional patent application (PPA) on the invention.
Filing a PPA allows you to claim patent pending status for
the invention but involves only a small fraction of the
work and cost of a regular patent application. All that
is required to file a PPA is a fee of $80 ($160 for large
companies), a detailed description of the invention, telling
how to make and use it, and an informal drawing.
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