A patent is the property right given by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office to an inventor. It gives the inventor an exclusive right over the invention preventing others from making, using or selling the invention stated in the patent deed. The main purpose behind issuing of patents is to enable the inventor in recovering developmental costs and help in facing the competition.
The patent is a way to extend legal protection to the inventions ranging from communications to technology. However, the process to get patents is long and tiresome and it is where the need of a Patent Lawyer is felt. The process to get patent is not simple. You need to argue your case as to why your invention is worth any patent and how the invention is different from other products already in the market. Patent applications seldom get accepted in the first instance. The role of the patent lawyer is to redo the application and submit it again with new information so that it is accepted.
The patent lawyer makes an inquiry about the invention or idea and then conducts a search whether a patent has already been issued for a product or service similar in characteristics. It is only after a complete and thorough inquiry that the patent lawyer advocates the case for the issuing of a patent. However, the inventor can himself search for the validity of a patent by going through the Patent and Trademark Office's Web site at www.uspto.gov. It generally takes three years for the patent application to clear because of huge stack of applications in the Patents Office.
How do I register for a patent?
Filing for a patent application electronically, by using EFS, the USPTO's electronic filing system for patent applications saves a lot of time. The various types of patent applications are:
- Utility Patent Application
- Design Patent Application
- Plant Patent Application
The patent lawyer makes the complicated and tiresome process of getting a patent simple and trouble-free.
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