Category: Business

An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. An invention does not have to be a tangible object. The process for making an invention can be a design, pattern, or even a new way of using a familiar product.

New invention ideas are the best way to start your own business and make money. You should know that there is no such thing as a bad idea. It depends on how you implement it and what purpose it serves. Here are some examples of good invention ideas:

Inexpensive batteries that can power cars, trucks and boats for longer distances than current batteries do

A new way to quickly clean up oil spills by using specially formulated bacteria that eat up oil after an accident has happened (this could save millions of dollars in cleanup costs)

A better way to store data on hard drives so that they can hold more information without being too big or heavy

A new kind of solar panel that is thin and flexible, so it can be placed on the outside of cars or buildings instead of needing to be installed on top of them.

As you can see, there are many different kinds of inventions that could help people. If you want to make a difference in the world, then inventing something useful is one way to do it.

Inventors are the people who create new things. They come up with ideas and then figure out how to make them real. They are the ones who make the world a better place. The next time you see an invention, think about the person who invented it and how their idea can help others.

How Can Inventors Protect Their Inventions?

After inventors have come up with their inventions and tested them to make sure they work, they need to protect them. This means making sure no one else can copy the idea or sell it without paying the inventor some money. There are two ways to do this: patenting and trademarking.

When inventors patent their inventions, they get a special right to make and sell the invention. This means no one else can make or sell it without paying the inventor some money. This is called a patent. Patents last for 20 years from when the application was filed. Patenting process can be long and difficult so hiring a patent agency like InventHelp can help you get through it. InventHelp is a well-known patent agency that helps protect inventions and helps inventors license their ideas for money.

Once an inventor gets a patent, they can sell the invention to a company. The company will pay the inventor some money and then make and sell the invention to customers.

The great thing about inventing is that you can do it anytime, anywhere. No matter where the idea for a new product comes from, you can use it to get started on your own invention. Inventing an idea is the first step in creating a new product or service that will make you money.

Here are some ways to begin:

If you have an idea for an invention, write it down as soon as possible after it comes to mind. If you wait too long, you may forget it!

It’s best to write down your idea in its simplest form. You can always add details later on.

Get feedback from friends and family members about your idea — but only after you’ve written it down and made it clear to them what the idea is all about. Don’t ask them if they like the idea until they understand what it is! Ask them if they think there’s a market for this kind of product or service. Tell them how much money they would pay for such a product or service (hint: if they say “nothing,” then maybe this isn’t such an easy sell).

If they think it’s a good idea, ask them how they would improve it or make it better. You can also ask them if they know anyone else who might be interested in your idea; this is where networking comes into play.

Do A Research On Your Idea

If you have a idea for an invention, it’s important to do some research on the product or service that you’re planning to create. Find out who else is in your market and see what they’re doing with their products or services; this way, you can get a feel for whether there’s room for another player in the field or not. If there are already several similar products out there, then maybe it isn’t such an easy sell after all!

The benefits of a priority patent filing only arise in respect of the first filing of an application describing specific features in respect of an invention. This is a stipulation in the Paris Convention which has been adopted as part of the Canadian patent law.

Consequently, US attorneys who proceed by first filing a US provisional application, followed by a US non-provisional application a year later, but without filing an application in Canada within the priority year are exposed to the following limitations under Canadian patent law.

Canada does have a one-year grace period that shelters an application from self-originating public disclosures in the previous year. This partial one-year grace period extends back from the actual Canadian filing date. It does not extend back from the priority date associated with an application. Therefore, if a client, after making an initial US provisional application, decides to publicly disclose their invention, then this sets a one-year deadline from the date of first disclosure for the filing of a patent application in Canada.

This means that, in a case where a decision is made belatedly, after the priority year, to file an application in Canada, such an application can successfully be made only so long as it is filed within one year from the first occasion when the applicant, or someone deriving information from the applicant (or the applicant’s predecessor), has made the invention available to the public as explained on how do you patent an idea with InventHelp article.

However, if a third party makes a disclosure of the invention before the Canadian application is filed, such disclosure may terminate the opportunity to obtain a patent in Canada, depending on whether valid priority rights can be established.

The Canadian grace period does not shelter an applicant against disclosures by third parties. Canada is a first-to-file, absolute novelty country with respect to disclosures made by third parties. Accordingly, it is important to preserve the priority right by filing in Canada within the priority year. A properly establish priority right shelters a Canadian application against subsequent public disclosures made by third parties.

A trap exists, however, for US attorneys who, having gone beyond the priority year without filing an application in Canada, if they assume that they can claim priority benefits in Canada from a US non-provisional filing that has been preceded by a provisional US filing. Priority rights in Canada, as in most countries around the world, are only available in respect of subject matter disclosed in the first patent application containing a disclosure of such subject matter. If a US non-provisional filing were to duplicate a US provisional filing, no priority benefits could be claimed from the US non-provisional filing.

If the non-provisional US filing contains new matter, then priority rights will arise with respect to such new matter. But with respect to original matter included in an application filed more than a year previously, the priority right is lost in cases where a Canadian application was not filed within the priority year. The “priority year” is only the year extending from the first application filed in respect of such subject matter. For further reading please take a look at how to patent something with InventHelp.

In conclusion, where a belated filing is to be made in Canada beyond the end of the priority year, US attorneys should treat Canada as an absolute novelty, first-to-file country. A US non-provisional application should not be assumed to generate a fresh priority date.

You have up to 12 months after filing a provisional application to proceed with a non-provisional application. If you do not file within that time period, your provisional application will be deemed to have been abandoned and you may lose certain benefits. The non-provisional application is entitled to the benefit of the original filing date of the provisional application. But to be sure, it is advisable to consult with a patent agency, such as InventHelp patent services, just in case.

Note: the provisional filing is not available for design patents.

Advantages of a Provisional Patent Application

Inexpensive to file – typically $80.

Easy to meet the filing requirements. The disclosure and documents can be very informal and generally do not require an attorney to prepare.

Provides immediate patent pending status.

Provides nearly equivalent patent protection for the first year as the more expensive utility patent application (having a comparable disclosure).

Minimum investment. In the event the invention is determined to have insufficient commercial value, the inventor is typically out only a few hundred dollars instead of thousands of dollars.

Disadvantages of a Provisional Patent Application

Expires after a year.

No extensions. Don’t ask for an extension because there is no one to ask. There is no one on the planet authorized to give you an extension. The one year limit was set in stone by Congress.

Provisional patent application generally do NOT have the full review and analysis in preparation as a utility patent application, particularly when prepared by the inventor.

When followed by a utility patent application, the total cost is more than if a utility patent application was filed instead of the provisional patent application.

Contact a registered InventHelp patent attorney today to be sure that your invention or idea is protected.

In order to obtain protection for your invention, you need to go through the process of securing a patent. This is a process that can be extremely complicated, and any mistake can lead to expensive and time-consuming results that could ultimately give someone else the time necessary to secure the patent that you seek. Therefore, having a patent agency, such as InventHelp patent invention agency, is highly recommended.

Types of Patents

The first decision that should be made when you seek patent protection is the type of patent you should pursue. Below are the most common choices available:

Utility patent – A utility patent is one that deals with an actual invention. These patents cover something that’s a process, a machine, a manufactured item or a composition of matter, which can be described as ideas that have been reduced to tangible practice. An approved utility patent provides protection for 20 years if it was filed after June 8, 1995.

Provisional application – A provisional application presents a choice for an inventor. This application provides the inventor with a one-year period to explore the invention further in order to determine if it is commercially viable. If that 12-month period passes without filing a non-provisional application, then the protection of the invention is lifted.

Design patent – A design patent allows an inventor to enjoy protection for a new design for an article of manufacture. A design patent only protects the outward appearance of the invention, however, and not the functional features.

Patent Requirements

Regardless of the type of application that the inventor chooses, the law does require that certain standards be met in order for an application to be considered for a full-fledged patent approval. Below are those four statutory requirements or tests:

The statutory classes – Any invention must fall into at least one of five types of valid inventions:

• Processes
• Compositions of matter
• Machines
• Manufactured items
• New uses of any of the above

Utility – The invention must be considered ‘useful.’ This means that the invention must actually perform some function, no matter how intangible, and it cannot simply be a working theory regarding some product or phenomenon.

Novelty – The invention must be novel, in that it must be unique and unlike anything that’s already been invented.

Nonobvious – An invention must not be overly obvious to someone who possesses the average amount of skill and knowledge in the particular area of that invention.

Aside from filing a valid application that meets all of the statutory requirements and tests as listed above, the applicant must also pay the filing fee, which can range anywhere between $2,000.00 and $2,500.00. Find much more information about patents and the patenting process on how to patent something with InventHelp article.

Patents are obtained, in the United States, by filing and “prosecuting” patent applications in the United States Patent & Trademark Office. Also inventors can obtain patent rights in foreign countries by filing patent applications in those countries.

Trademarks and Service Marks

Trademark and service mark rights are obtained by being the first to use the mark in connection with the sale of a particular class of goods or services. “Common law” rights are obtained by being the first to use a mark but the rights obtained may be geographically restricted. Federal trademark or service mark rights, which are national in scope, are obtained by filing an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The application must indicate that the applicant has used the mark in interstate commerce or intends to use the mark in interstate commerce. You can always hire professionals, such as patent services InventHelp agency to help you.

Copyrights

Copyrights are obtained through publication of original works of authorship. Copyrights may be registered by filing an application with the Register of Copyrights in Washington, D.C.

Trade Secrets

Trade secret rights are secured by putting in place procedures that are designed to prevent trade secret information from being improperly disclosed to others or improperly obtained by others. These procedures include steps such as requiring employees to sign confidentiality agreements; requiring prospective business partners to sign confidential disclosure agreements; restricting disclosure of trade secret information to employees on a “need to know” basis; marking documents that contain trade secret information with “Confidential” stamps and providing physical security at your place of business (e.g., requiring visitors to sign in and out and keeping confidential documents stored in secure filing areas).

How can I protect my inventions and ideas in foreign countries?

Most of the industrialized countries of the world have signed international treaties for the protection of intellectual property. Lawyer can help you secure patent rights in foreign countries by filing foreign patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. While the scope of available patent protection may vary somewhat from country to country, patent service InventHelp agency can advise you on patent strategies to maximize protection of your inventions outside the U.S. can also refer you to foreign experts in the fields of trademark, copyright and trade secret protection.