Protect Your Ideas
Intellectual Property FAQs A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Patent holders have the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention described in the patent deed. The intent of patents is to give the developer of a new product time to recover development expenditures and startup costs without having to fight competition. Eligibility Patents cannot be obtained for inventions that have been publicly disclosed, are in use, or marketed in the United States for one year prior to the filing of the patent application. Secondly, a thorough patent search, preferably done by a professional, must be conducted to make certain that the applicant's idea hasn't already been patented. Provisional applications are like temporary placeholders; they allow inventors to file inexpensively without a formal patent claim, oath, or declaration. Once the application is filed, the applicant has one year to investigate the feasibility, marketability, patentability, and potential license interest of the invention before deciding to file a formal patent application. Meanwhile, the term patent pending can be applied to the invention, and the inventor enjoys a calendar edge on other inventors who may file for the same invention. Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. For more information refer go to the U.S. Copyright Office web site. (From the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) Invention development companies are private and public research companies that help inventors develop, patent, and promote their ideas so they can be commercially licensed or sold. While many of these organizations are legitimate, some are not. Here are seven tips to help you make smart invention development decisions:
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) strongly recommends that all prospective applicants retain the services of a registered patent attorney or patent agent to prepare and prosecute their applications. For information on registered patent attorneys and agents in your area, you may visit the USPTO's Office of Enrollment and Discipline Web site. Upon request, the USPTO will send information that provides a broad overview of the process of obtaining a United States patent. They will include general requirements and a listing of the Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries. There are a number of sources that you can use to research an existing business name. The following is a list of some of the most common places to begin your search:
Two online sources for finding manufacturers is the Thomas Registry and Dunn & Bradstreet's Supplier Finder. |