February 2022

A patent refers to a set of special rights granted by a state to an inventor in exchange for the disclosure of his invention. A patent is granted for a limited period of time. Patent is a kind of intellectual property. A patent provides the inventor exclusive rights over the product or idea for a set of time. The time granted is for twenty years, till that period no one else is allowed to use the product or idea without the permission of inventor.

In the process of registering a patent, an important document is used known as a patent application. A patent application is a request in written form for the grant of a patent. It includes more than one claim related to the invention. Related information such as patent specification, official forms and content documents are attached with the application. To obtain a patent grant, a person must file an application at the patent office within the local geographical area over which coverage is related. After complying with the legal laws, a patent will be granted to the inventor for his further proceeds. A Sample patent application is of many types. Each one is specifically designed for different situations. Each application offers different benefits as per the nature of patent and therefore requires professional assistance from patent agencies, such as, patent invention InventHelp agency. Following are the types of patent application such as:

1. Standard application: It is a kind of patent application consists of written description of the invention and necessary related parts. The grant of a patent under standard application depends on the outcome given by the patent office. In some countries, it is considered as a non- provisional application.

2. Provisional applications: A provisional patent application is used for obtaining a filing date and also securing it by placing an application at the patent office. It protects the interest of investors for a period of 12 months. Also, it is less expensive and does not require any legal assistance. It also offers a status of patent pending to inventors while they complete their filing process. Provisional patent applications must be sent through the post.

3. Continuation applications: It refers to the process of filing in continuation of a previous application. These applications are of two types such as continuation-in-part and continuation. A continuation application is specially used for granting additional claims for an invention. On the other hand, a continuation-in-part patent application is used for disclosing new matter such as numeric figures or written descriptions.

4. Divisional applications: A divisional application is obtained by dividing an existing application. The subject matter of the parent application is divided and disclosed in the divisional application. It is used for obtaining additional patent right in regard of the original one.

Many companies, such as InventHelp patent an idea agency, are there in the market offering legal services related to patents, trademarks and copyrights. They provide Services related to investors protection and many more.

Any patent application, even a provisional patent application takes time and money. So how do you decide if you need a patent?

General Guidelines

Ultimately, only you, the inventor, can decide, but here are some general guidelines to help you decide for yourself.

Is There A Reasonable Chance Your Idea Is Sufficiently Novel (New) To Qualify For Patent Protection?

If not, then preparing any patent application is probably not a good idea.

Do You Need To Be Talking To Outside Entities Such As Potential Buyers, Sellers, Or Investors About Your Technology?

If so, filing can protect your patent rights in the event one of your contacts develops the technology as a result of talking to you.

Does Your Idea Have Potential Commercial Value?

Are You Sure Or Can You Determine The Commercial Value Within A Year?

If the answer is yes to either, then patent protection may be a good idea. Hiring a patenting agency, such as InventHelp patent invention agency, in this step would be wise.

Note: A patent does not make a commercially unviable product viable. The patent office is full of patents having no commercial value. Some have said that 90% or more of issued patents have no commercial value.

Have You Identified Who Would Make, Who Would Buy And Who Would Sell Your Technology?

If not, you really need to do your homework and answer these questions for yourself in order to make an informed decision on pursing a patent.

Can You Afford To Pursue A Patent?

Money is generally tight for individuals and small businesses. The cost of preparing and filing a patent application, whether it is $300 for a provisional patent application or $5000 for a full utility patent application is an investment but also needs to be viewed as “risk capital”. Filing a patent application does NOT guarantee a patent will ever be issued. But, in order to do the best you can to get that patent issued it is highly advisable to have a professional patent agency, such as InventHelp patent an idea agency, by your side.

Provisional patent applications can minimize the cost for the short term, but at some point, more money will be needed to secure patent rights. The reality is that patenting is not inexpensive.