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What to Do with New Invention

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.

How are Intellectual Property Rights Obtained?

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.

A Patent Attorney Gets the Job Done

If you have invented something or developed a new product, then you are in need of the services of a patent attorney. Applying for a patent may be a long and difficult process, but with the help of your patent attorney, you will be able to solve patent issues and gain knowledge at the same time.

After completing a four-year bachelor’s degree, the aspiring patent lawyers must now finish three years of law school. They should take undergraduate courses like English, History, Philosophy or Economics. The lawyers should complete courses related to patent law as well as technical courses like engineering and science. They should pass their LSAT or the Law School Admission Test to be able to be accepted to an American Bar Association-accredited law school. They must also be admitted to the patent bar by passing the United States Patent and Trademark Office registration examination.

Patent attorney should have the knowledge with regards to patent laws. They should be able to utilize their knowledge and skills when dealing with patent issues. They can have consultations with potential clients pertaining to the patent application process as you can read from this article – How to patent an idea with InventHelp.

A patent attorney assists clients to get patents for products and services and defends his clients’ patent rights. He sorts out, outlines and records applications for patents and offers advice. He takes lawful action and gives legal opinions. He protects the clients against  patent issues.

A patent attorney can work with law firms, business firms and government organizations. He should be very organized and should have sharp eyes for important details. Diligence and patience are essential traits that a patent attorney should possess. He should be able to allot time for research and should have the ability to communicate technical information verbally as InventHelp explains in How to file a patent with InventHelp article.

A patent attorney should be very detail oriented when it comes to their work. Even the smallest element should not escape the eye of the attorney. Through diligence and hard work, a patent attorney gets the job done.

Poor Man’s Patent?

For many years – whenever someone had a great idea, they would: describe the idea in writing, seal the description in an envelope, and address and mail it to themselves. The postmark could thereafter be used as proof of a conception date and ultimately inventorship.

While the courts generally looked upon the practice unfavorably, it did nevertheless ‘stand the test’ in certain cases. Patent fights (a process called ‘interference’) have indeed turned in favor of an inventor proving a date of conception by a ‘poor man’s patent’.

As the did not like this practice so much, the United State Patent and Trademark Office created the “Disclosure Document Program” as a replacement for the ‘poor man’s patent’. Under this program, an inventor could submit and document she wanted in any form whatsoever for a small fee.

Documents submitted under the Disclosure Document Program were not examined nor processed in any way. Rather, they were merely kept on file for a two year period – after which they were automatically destroyed. Unless they were cited in a later filed patent application – that is filed before the expiry of the two year period. The program provided an inexpensive and durable proof of conception for all individual inventors. It was easy to use and highly successful as described on https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/why-inventhelp-is-such-a-valuable-resource-for-inventors/.

However as of 2007, the USPTO has quit and discontinued the program – in favor of the provisional patent application program. While the provisional patent application program provides excellent benefits, it remains complex, expensive, overly burdensome and not readily accessible to those without special skill in patent practice and procedure. Accordingly, inventors generally hire an expensive patent attorney to prepare and file a provisional patent application.

Cancellation of the Disclosure Document Program left inventors again without good options for establishing a date of conception in a quick inexpensive manner. Accordingly, inventors are forced back to the ‘poor man’s patent’ practice of sending self addressed envelopes through the postal service.

One very good alternative exists to provide even better date of conception witnessing. Professional invention services offered by InventHelp can serve to firmly establish your date of invention. In just a few minutes, you can lock-in forever the actual date of your idea.

Further, InventHelp has both Patent and Engineering professionals available to review, witness and document your submissions. While the poor man’s patent is subject to manipulation by the inventor, Idea Vault is a secure means of establishing a date of conception by way of a third party witness. Now, there is now longer any question as to when you came up with your $$$ million dollar ideas.

Patent an Idea Successfully

There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we get a brilliant idea. The difference is some act on that idea and try to turn it into a real product that can be sold while others let that idea pass them by, and that can either turn out one of the two ways: firstly, that idea will never be stumbled upon by another person because it was either that brilliant or simple enough that no one ever thought to think of it or secondly, someone else has that idea, patents it, and makes a lot of money.

If you have an idea and you didn’t know what to do with that, then, you can always seek professional help for your invention, and here are some points that can help you in this matter.

Understand how a patent works

A patent is a legal document that is granted to the first person for his unique idea or to invent a particular invention. It prevents others from making, selling or using the invention without your permission.

A patent is a way that makes the person with a great idea the sole owner of that idea. In the United States once an has been disclosed publicly, the inventor has one year to file for a patent. It means if the individual has an idea and tells anyone that he or she will sell them that product they have a year to patent that idea before it is lost. After the idea has popped into a person’s mind, the very first step is to get that idea turned into reality. And, if it is not visible, it is not marketable.

Once your product is completed, the next important thing to do is to hire an attorney or a patent agency such as Invent Help. There are some who feel that this step of choosing an attorney is not so necessary. But, if one skips this step, it can cause trouble. The proper documentation is important in this process. The right patent attorney helps in proper and correct documentation to ensure that the inventor is real.

Why You Should Hire a Family Lawyer for Your Divorce

If you intend to go through a divorce by yourself, you should know that it is not such a good idea. This thing is valid whether you know the law or not. One of the reasons why you must hire a divorce attorney is the fact that the law usually changes. This thing means that the actual laws, which regulate the divorce process these days, might be different from the laws that you used to know. The truth is that many people, who are in the middle of a divorce or starting one, still ask themselves whether they should get a family attorney or not. Therefore, before taking your final decision and asking “do you need a lawyer for divorce“, please take a look at the following paragraph.

Getting a Good Divorce Lawyer

If you have already decided that you need a good divorce lawyer, the best thing that you can do to find such a professional is to check online. Over the web, you are able to locate numerous services which offer family lawyers and even free consultations. It is a good idea to go for a free consultation just to make sure that the service can take care of your case. If you just do not know how to find the right lawyer for your case, you can always rely on the county bar association. By checking the county bar association, you can hire a truly good divorce lawyer and get the best possible terms for your divorce.