Frequently Asked Questions
The price of the patent application is determined by a patent search. The more crowded the field of your invention is (in other words, the more inventions that already exist which are related or similar to yours), the more time it will take for our team to write the patent application. A fixed-fee cost is provided after the patent search is performed.
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All inventors are protected by attorney-client privilege under Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulation. Our office will also provide you with a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement, so you have documented evidence of attorney-client privilege.
In summary, you don’t have to worry that your patent attorney or anyone else working on your patent application at The Patent Professor® will steal your invention idea. You’ll be provided with legal documents that prevent us from stealing or copying your invention idea – even if we wanted to (and we don’t)!
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The internet has completely changed the practice of patent law. You’re no longer limited to working with patent attorneys that happen to work near you.
Instead, you can work with a patent attorney anywhere in the United States, no matter where you live. That means you can find the best patent attorney. You don’t have to settle for “good enough”.
At The Patent Professor®, we help inventors all over the U.S.!
In fact, about 90% of our clients are located outside of Florida, where we practice. Our law firm offers meetings through video conferences and phone calls. Our team can communicate with inventors through email, text, fax, and even good old-fashioned postal mail!
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There are two types of patents: utility and design.
Utility patents protect the use of an idea and provide protection for up to 20 years.
Design patents protect the look of an invention and provide protection for up to 14 years.
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Filing a provisional patent application is a great way to begin if you don’t have your idea finalized. We can file a provisional patent application for you, which gives you protection for 12 months. That allows you time to make changes and modify your idea.
When filing a non-provisional patent application, we will draft claims. (The provisional patent application is simpler and doesn’t require claims.) Once the non-provisional patent is filed with the U.S. Patent Office, you cannot make changes to the concept.
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As registered patent attorneys, our primary focus is on providing you with a bulletproof patent so that your invention idea is not stolen or copied by others.
However, we can provide referrals to people who can assist you with marketing your invention. The raw materials that we provide (such as the drawings and illustrations of your idea) will be a tremendous asset as you try to take your product to market.
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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office does not require a prototype.
Due to changes in U.S. patent law in 2013, the patent process is based on a first-to-file standard, not first-to-invent. This means that it doesn’t matter who actually got an idea or created an invention first – the Patent Office will still give the patent to the person who files the patent application for it first.
Creating a prototype is often a bad idea, because while you’re waiting for your prototype to be completed, someone else may file a patent for your idea.
If you are discussing your invention idea with prototyping companies that manufacture or develop prototypes or models for patent applications, and you haven’t filed a patent yet, you’re risking the possibility of your idea getting stolen by those companies. It happens!
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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recommends the use of registered patent attorneys.
Additional Resources:
- Video: https://youtu.be/91cNS_Zj2zI
- The Patent Office’s Brochure on Inventor Help Scams: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14ZEwBColSStOi8ZqnblrMsAXzzo0mRjd/view?usp=sharing
The Patent Professor® team consists of board-certified patent attorneys, former patent examiners from the U.S. Patent Office, registered patent agents, engineers, designers, and illustrators specializing in protecting new invention ideas and brand identities.
Additional Resources:
- Google Reviews: https://goo.gl/maps/UcMxxXeYwBWBR9cZ9
- Client Success Stories: https://thepatentprofessor.com/client-success-stories/
