How to Patent a Dream? Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with an idea for a great invention? An objective person would write it down, but if you're like me, you rolled back over in bed, confident that you'd never forget an idea this good. The morning comes and poof, it's gone! If you do remember the next day, the concept doesn't always seem so appealing in the daylight. Once in a while though, you'll come up with a winner. Unfortunately many people never follow through with their ideas because they don't know what to do next. Protecting that special idea is a very important step to consider as you begin your journey as an inventor. Depending on your idea, a patent may be the best way to protect your intellectual property.
http://www.renewalsdesk.com/ A patent can be defined as a protected monopoly granted to the inventor of a device or a process. It is the strongest type of intellectual property protection that can be attained. With a patent, no one can sell your invention without your permission during your monopoly, which depending on your intention, typically lasts from 14 to 20 years. The regulation of patents is handled by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Although it may seem like an intimidating process, applying for a patent and receiving approval is relatively uncomplicated. Some people consider hiring a patent attorney, but why spend thousands of dollars on a lawyer, when you can do it yourself?
There are several requirements to consider in the process of obtaining a patent. First, your invention must meet one of the five Statutory Classes. These include the following: 1. A new process or method of doing something or building something 2. A new machine 3. A new article of manufacture 4. A new composition of matter 5. A new and useful improvement on any of the other four aspects
If your invention falls under one of these classes you must address several other requirements. Your idea must be useful, commercially useful or ornamental, as well as novel. Most importantly, your idea must be unobvious. Unobviousness is very difficult to define, but generally means that the invention produces new and unexpected results that flow from novel features. Most applications that are rejected by the USPTO are denied because the idea is obvious. If you feel your idea meets these standards, you must then complete a patent search. This is done by reviewing the entire history of patents, which includes over 5 million patents. Luckily, this can be done on an online patent renewal database. The USPTO provides the public access to its patent database, dating back to 1976, free of cost, while other online databases charge a small fee. If you still feel that your invention is highly valuable to the public, the next step is the application process. The provisional patent application (PPA) is the easiest way to go about this, as it requires the least amount of paperwork. An advantage of this application is that it gives the inventor a year to show their invention to potential developers, before the inventor must file a regular application. Another benefit of the provisional patent application is that it gives the inventor the ability to claim patent pending status, which makes it safer to market the invention before the process is fully completed; anywhere from two to four years. Filing a PPA costs about $75, while filing a regular application ranges from about $200 to $1000, depending on the invention. You can find more information about the variations of these fees at the official website of the USPTO, at uspto.gov. Additional fees required in obtaining a patent include an issuance fee, ranging from $200 to $1500, as well as maintenance fees, which must be paid three times. Maintenance fees range from around $500 to $1000 for the first renewal, $1000 to $2000 for the second, and $1500 to $3000 for the third renewal. By using renewals desk you will save a lot more. The straight forward process of obtaining a patent is definitely worth the time and money. If one day you find someone imitating your idea, all you need to do is file a claim against the person. The legal aspects of this process are long and expensive, and you undoubtedly need an attorney, but with a patent, which has been properly prepared, the perpetrator will most likely held liable for the claim. In addition to protection, a patent benefits by increasing the value and status of your invention to developers, investors, banks and the market area. The next time you roll out of bed with a fabulous idea, strongly consider its worth in society. Ask yourself, is it time to make the dream a reality?