Some may think brilliant men like Thomas Edison and Nicolai Tesla are rare these days, but I know better. In fact, I have a friend who is a certifiable genius inventor, who invented things like an engine that runs on tap water and a device that increases gas mileage by almost 40%.
What the average person doesn’t realize is that inventions don’t usually come about as a result of a “eureka” moment with a light bulb image hanging over their head! Real inventions come from testing and experimenting and finding all the methods that don’t work before finding the one that does.
I had a great idea about 20 years ago to sell bottled water, all my friends told me I was crazy. I listened to them and now someone is a billionaire and I am not. I’m writing this article to make sure you don’t make the same mistake. If you have one of those flashes of brilliance and come up with a design or plan for it, make sure it’s patented. The correct way to do this is to use a patent attorney.
Patent attorneys are experts in their field and can help you file a patent for an invention or idea. That’s right… it doesn’t have to be a physical product, it can just be an idea. Now, don’t get carried away and think that every idea you have is worth patenting. I’m reasonably sure if you were that bright you wouldn’t be sitting reading my article right now! One of the things you need to consider is whether your idea is marketable. The bottom line is that getting a patent costs money and if your idea isn’t going to make any money, there’s no point in moving forward.
The first step in the process of obtaining a patent is to conduct a patent search to see if your idea is really as original as you think it is. You can do it yourself by going to the government website at uspto.gov, but a good patent attorney can and will do a much better search and save you a lot of time and hassle.
The next step, assuming your search indicates that you have a novel idea worth patenting, is to apply for the patent. There are two main types of patents, design and utility. If it is primarily the design that you are concerned with, then you should go for that option. If you are more concerned with how the invention will work, apply for a utility patent. There is also the consideration of how long you are protected. A utility patent is valid for twenty years, while a design patent only lasts fourteen.
Obtaining a patent is not exactly cheap and you will have to come up with a good amount of money up front. However, it may well be worth it. There are attorney fees as well as filing fees to pay the government for applying for the patent. This is why it is so crucial that you do your research and make sure that the idea is something that can be profitable in the market. In any case, do not go it alone, always seek professional help from a qualified patent attorney. A good patent attorney will save you time, energy, and many sleepless nights.