How to Get a Patent on Your Invention

The invention is a beautiful thing. It's what drives progress and innovation, and holds the key to our future. But that doesn't mean it's easy. In fact, the process of inventing something new can be frustrating, time-consuming, and overwhelming. In this article, we'll give you a step-by-step guide on how to get a patent for your invention from start to finish.

What is an invention?

An invention is a new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or a new and useful improvement thereof. An invention that is a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter may be patented in this country provided that it is new, involves an inventive step, and is capable of industrial application.Common examples of new and useful improvements include new vaccines, drugs, personnel, advanced materials, and new processes for manufacturing and assembling complex products. Tips for Building a Bioscience Portal patent Strategy You'll need to develop a special type of business license. An IRAs
& IRAs checklist for starting your new business You don't want to be told you can't do something. There is no place for fear in invention. When starting your new business, it is important to know what things are patentable and you should have a special business license to protect your new ideas. When you start a new business, you'll need to start with a special invention license from the Department of Commerce. The form for the new patent is Form TX.

What does it mean to patent an invention?

Early in my career as a patent attorney, I noticed there were a number of men's grooming products and services out there with "patent pending" or "invented by" descriptions underneath them. I tried Googling a couple of these and, unsurprisingly, came up empty-handed. I wondered: Why aren't men's grooming retailers employing the same tactics for their inventions? Why are patents, particularly in a field where l sprints are commonplace, not as common? And how can someone who shares a personal passion for fast fashion marketing — picking out the best haircut and style for men or a sleek sheen — unearth a valuable patent?
Enter envy. It's the human condition to strive for the best and strive for the achievement of what we want to be most, and patent, though commonly associated with technology, can be an incredibly powerful tool for success in virtually any career.

How do you get a patent on your invention?

Whether you're working on a new product, developing a new format for mobile content, or trying to change the way customers search for products online, getting a patent is one of the most effective ways to protect your new ideas.
In this article, we'll talk about:
Does the U.S Patent and Trademark Office offer help?
The traditional filing process
The Full (Enforceable) Patents process
Patent fees and publication timelines
Types of patents
Patent terminology
Why it's important
Patent is associated with innovation. No one comes up with an idea in a vacuum, and ideas usually need to be protected from others. Getting a patent improves your ability to prevent others from copying your ideas and prevents others from profiting from your ideas.
Filing an invention
Of course, inventing something new takes idea-spinning prowess. But it doesn't have to be that cumbersome, do it yourself kind of thing. The Patent and Trademark Office (known by its acronym, PO) has a number of resources that you can use to find your first invention. Through its online services, the Patent and Trademark Office helps you develop your first invention idea.
First you will need to register your new idea with the Patent and Trademark Office. The idea must have been publicly described before (prior to 15 days from the time you register your new idea with the PTO) in order for you to be granted a patent.

The costs of getting a patent for your invention

The cost of getting a patent for your invention will vary depending on how complicated your invention is and how many years of patent protection you want. Patent protection lasts 20 years from the time you apply for a patent. This means that if you apply for a patent today, your patent will expire in 20 years.The benefits of ending your Internet browsing anonymously with a patent application are staggering. For those of you unfamiliar with invention, it is defined as "a method and system for providing information to computer systems." Now granted (or not) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a patent is a non-infringement, limited-use, descriptive patent. The standard size is 514 pages. Many other countries are much larger than the U.S. paper size. Thus, serving many international markets, patents in foreign languages are very common. Inventors in other countries are not limited to filing their invention in their home country, and can apply for a patent wherever they are. Inventors in the U.S. typically have to go through the cumbersome and expensive process of filing an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, sending in supporting documents to the PTO, going through a (much longer) examination and decision process, and paying $500 to $15,000 in fees and expenses. Then, there's the penalty: If the PTO decides that your invention is not "useful," you may have to pay an additional fee for every non-useful application you receive.

Are there alternatives to a patent?

There are alternative ways to protect yourself if you don’t have the money for a patent. One option is to file for a trademark. It’s less expensive than a patent, and it’s good protection if you’re in the right industry.Patents allow an inventor to protect his or her new invention, to prevent others from using it before it launches into the market, and to help others benefit from the ideas of others. In other words, you can get a patent. But it takes time, often a lot of it. Fortunately, there is a way to get your new invention patented within minutes of putting forth the effort. Luckily, it’s also an effortless process that doesn't require years of serious planning. However, if your invention is on a pretty interesting topic, try our quick and easy patent strategy.
Find inspiration as a startup
If you’ve ever faced a big product challenge, found a potential market that you thought would add significant value, or wanted to create and launch an innovative product but had no clue how, you’ve need new ideas. But how do you come up with these ideas?
First and foremost, you need to understand who is already using your product, and perhaps more importantly who is using your recent innovation, or your competition, to create similar ideas. And those customers, customers that have been using your product or service since it was invented, are probably one of your best sources of ideas. Your customers, in other words, are the inspiration.
You can get insight into new product ideas for your product or service by mining closely related products or services for your target market or customer base. You can also examine your market landscape and competitor research to discover customers you have yet to fully capture.
Enter the competitive landscape.
Competitive research
For brainstorming inspiration, you can study what competitors are doing, particularly what products and features they are using and how they are describing them.