I was thinking since many people are interested in advice for applying for patents, that I should list what I (and many others) consider to be the top 5 mistakes people make when they apply for patents.

1. Not hiring a patent attorney – may seem unnecessary, but there’s a huge risk that comes with applying for a patent on your…[Read more]

If you try to patent something that already exists (whether it has a patent or not), you will need to modify the product, method of use, and/or method of manufacturing enough to make it your own.

The prior art of something already patented or being produced stands in your way, but it isn’t impossible. In fact, there’s almost 50,000 pat…[Read more]

I would recommend sending the prototype asap, don’t worry about an NDA as you’ve already filed a PPA. Save your money for a licensing attorney when they make the first offer.

And yes, your next steps are very important. Keep yourself on track and cross your fingers. There are a good handful of quality licensing mentors you can find online…[Read more]

I do know some people who have had the same issue and they found a lawyer with mechanical engineering knowledge.

The chances might be slim, but at least it’s something you could try.

Sorry, I don’t really have any valuable advice in this area unfortunately.

I highly recommend reading “Patent It Yourself” by David Pressman especially as you’re not experienced. It’s thorough and easy to read, and you can easily find it online or even in libraries and book stores.

However, getting a patent is quite expensive no matter how small your invention is. Add that to the costs of having a lawye…[Read more]

You’re right, it depends. What I can tell you is that the USPTO currently has around 800,000 applications in their backlog and only about 8000 examiners. That’s 100 applications per examiner, and we all know how time consuming reading a patent really is, even more so when examining it. Plus, every application requires certain steps, which…[Read more]