Patent
Patent
Getting a patent is very important for any product you would like to produce. Patent laws are determined by the Department of Commerce. Most people don’t know this, but a patent application is judged on four criteria. The criteria to get a patent for inventions are: that they be useful in a practical sense, novel, nonobvious, and the product must be described sufficiently to enable the industry to use the invention. When you apply for a patent, make sure that you are not working with raw products of nature, understand that it may take three years to receive the patent, and also understand patents are only good for twenty years from the filing date. Many inventors think that getting a patent will protect their product. In reality, however, many large companies are already using the products that an independent inventor might want to create. This means that the independent inventor might never realize the production of their invention.
The first area in obtaining a patent is that the invention must be useful. Many inventors are disheartened when a product they are working on is not useful to anyone. A product must have a practical application or can not be patented. A patent is for a product that someone can use in an everyday situation or special situation. Products that are not usable can not be patented. For example, a patent will not be issued to someone who invents anything that can not be used specifically in industry or for everyday use. Many people seeking patents try to patent something that is actually not a usable product.
To get a patent, an inventor must create a “novel” product. “Novel” means that a product must be new and inventive in order to receive a patent. Many inventors think that because they have improved on a product, that their ideas deserve a patent. This is not the case. An inventor must create a new idea that is original, usable, and new. Just because you have a creative mind doesn’t mean that your invention is patentable. Even though your idea is usable, it may not be something that is “novel.”
Most inventors don’t understand that a product can not be nonobvious. Nonobvious means that someone in a particular industry would not think of the invention on their own. Industry experts who have credentials usually explore most of the possibilities in their industry with regards to inventions. A rookie mistake for an inventor is to try to get a patent for an invention that already may be in development at a larger corporation. Inventors need to do industry research when they apply for a patent to make sure their invention is not already obvious to industry experts and is not already in the works.
Another mistake that inventors make when applying for a patent is not sufficiently describing an invention to enable the industry they are working with to use their invention. Make sure that you consult the industry so that they understand exactly what your invention is for and be sure to take their advice.
Learn More At: www.youinventit.com
About the Author
About the Author: Rick Kelly has been a well respected magazine and newspaper columnist in the fields of consumer advice, civic matters and business development for the past twenty years.
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