How to File for a Patent

Inventors are always hard at work creating new devices for industrial or everyday use, and they can use patent services to secure the rights to the creation and intellectual property of what they have created. This often means hiring a patent lawyer in case a patent’s rights are being violated, and even before a patent is filed or accepted by the patent offices, an inventor may want to visit patent law firms and find a lawyer who can help them make sure that their paperwork is done correctly and on time to avoid the hassle of getting their patent application rejected. A trademark law firm can be approached for this, and the lawyers at a trademark law firm can help any client with their paperwork and the law surrounding inventions. Just how often do Americans file for patents every year, and how can this process be done right?

On Patents

Many American are looking to file for patents and get them accepted, and many of the 28 million small businesses in the United States may have employees who design new items for industrial work or commercial items to sell. Hundreds of thousands of patent applications are submitted every single year, but only a fraction of them are accepted, and the rest may be rejected if the invention is not seen as commercially viable or if the paperwork was done improperly, or some other reason. Patent law dates back to England in the 1600s, and ever since the colonial period, patent law has been practiced in the United States, and has grown into a massive industry today. Often, a trademark law firm offers lawyers who work with federal statutes where intellectual property law is concerned, and a trademark lawyer or a patent lawyer can help any client get this work done right.

A Trademark Law Firm and Inventions

When an inventor has created the prototype for a new invention and they want to get it patented for production, this person may attempt to file a patent application on their own, but this can prove difficult to accomplish alone. Rather, an inventor can take the option of approaching a patent law firm and hiring a patent lawyer who can help them get all this paperwork done right. In many cases, the inventor will provide materials to their lawyer, such as blueprints, photographs, and labeled diagrams of the invention to clearly illustrate what the item is and how it is meant to be used. This information and more can help a lawyer get a grasp on what kind of parent their client is trying to get, and how to make the item more commercially viable. There are 12 major industries for new inventions today, and if a client’s invention fits one or more, the lawyer can have an easier time promoting it with the patent office.

An inventor and his or her lawyer will submit the patent application, and in most cases, they are applying for what is called a provisional patent, a temporary one. The inventor may modify the existing parts on their invention, but not add any new components during this phase. The inventor may expect a wait time of up to a year to hear back from the patent office, and in that time, that inventor may modify their invention and even pursue other projects and submit other patents if they are able. If a provisional patent application is accepted, the inventor and their lawyer can submit a final design for a non-provisional patent, which is what most people simply call a “patent,” and this is the final step. Most often, the term of a new patent is about 20 years, starting from the date when the patent attorney filed the application in the first place. And a trademark law firm can help an inventor get legal protection for their invention if someone else attempts to claim it as their own or invent something very similar to it. Conversely, if an inventor gets careless and tries to file a patent for an invention very similar to an existing item, that other item’s patent holder may reach out to a trademark law firm to get legal representation in litigation against the offending inventor.