Patent Filing Process

Patent Filing Process

When you have an innovation that could change your life, it is important to patent it before anyone else. To protect your work, you may need to trademark, copyright or patent. Before you begin a patent filing process, determine the kind of protection you’re looking for. The patent is a monopoly granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a set period of time, generally 20 years.
In effect of a patent, the creator gets exclusive rights over the sale and production of his product. Patents also protect the idea from being stolen or used by others. 

               The Patent filing process can be long but these are the basic steps to remember

Step 1-Eligibility- before you begin, use the search engine on the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s website. You can find details and photographs of all patented products and check if your idea has already been patented. However, if you find a similar product, you can work on your idea and make it better and different.

Step 2- Requirement- after you’re certain your idea is unique and useful, you should determine which type of patent is best suited for you. 


There are 3 types of patents:
Utility Patent- issued for new and useful functions or processes of inventions
Design Patent- issued for aesthetic designs
Plant Patent- issued for discovering new plants

Step 3- Find an attorney-Hiring an attorney can save you a lot of time and effort in a rather tedious process. Not only do they help you write your application, make corrections but also to file your inventions making the patent filing process hassle-free.

Step 4- Application- You select which kind of application is best suited for you with the help of your attorney. The application will include documents that include a list of people who know about it, description or working model of your invention, a declaration oath and required fees. 

Step 5- Issuance- After reviewing your application, the USPTO checks the authenticity of your claim. They determine whether your idea is patentable or not. If your idea gets rejected, you can make changes and apply again. However, it is a long process as the answer for USPTO may take up to a year.

Patent filing process can be overwhelming but with professional help, it can reap monetary benefits and other rewards. 

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