How do I search and file a patent?
Before registering a patent, you will need to familiarize yourself with the patent process and conduct a thorough patent search, which involves more than just a cursory search of similar products available in the marketplace, to confirm the availability of patent protection for your invention. While you can attempt to conduct a patent search on your own, patent and other intellectual property laws are often complex and using a lawyer or patent service may be your best solution to conduct a thorough patent search and evaluate whether your product idea infringes on another party’s patent. To familiarize yourself with the different types of patents and the patent process you can review information from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
(USPTO) and related resources like the following:
- Patents: uspto.gov
- Understanding Design Patents: thoughtstopaper.com
- Patent Learning Center: duke.edu
- What is the Difference Between a Design Patent and a Utility Patent: wisegeek.com
Patent fees and costs:
- General Information Concerning Patents: uspto.gov
- USPTO Fee Information: uspto.gov
- The Cost of Obtaining a Patent in the US: ipwatchdog.com
Nolo press has a series of articles and publications that provide a good basic tutorial on the patent process and applications, including the process of obtaining a patent on your own:
- Patent Laws and Inventions: nolo.com
- Getting a Patent on Your Own: nolo.com
- Patent It Yourself: nolo.com
Patent Search: The patent process can be very expensive; therefore, you may need to conduct a thorough patent search in order to determine that patent protection is available for your product idea. As to conducting a patent search, if there are other versions of your product ideas on the market, you can initially review the websites, sales materials, product brochures, or other information from the companies that sell those products which may indicate their patent registrations. With this information, you can expedite your search of any patents registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For detailed suggestions and tips on conducting a patent search, you can review articles and resources like the following:
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