In the world of invention, ideas are the currency. And they’re not easy to come by. If you have a new invention idea that you think has commercial potential, it’s time to start investigating how best to protect it.
The first step is to make sure that your idea isn’t already protected by someone else’s patent. If it is, there’s no point in proceeding with a patenting application — because even if you do get your patent, someone else could still come along and use their patent to stop you selling your product.
If your idea isn’t patented yet, then what? The next step is to decide whether you want an ‘invention disclosure statement’ or just a patent. An invention disclosure statement is basically a written description of how something works and how it might be put into practice — but there are no legal rights attached to it at all.
A patent, on the other hand, is a legal document which gives you specific rights over your invention — for example, it could stop other people from making or selling it. So, if you want to protect your idea and make sure no one else can use it without your permission, then you need to file a patent application. But before you do that there are some things you should know about patents.
Patents are usually granted for a period of 20 years, but it’s possible to get more if you have new information or a better way of doing things.
Patents are granted by the government and they can only be issued if your invention meets certain criteria.
If you’re filing a patent application, then it must be novel, which means that no one else has created something that is identical or similar to yours.
It must also involve an inventive step — this means that it isn’t obvious to someone skilled in the relevant field of technology or science.
The invention must also be useful, which means that it has a use. It can’t be an abstract idea or a mathematical formula.
Invent Help agency can help you with the patent process, as you can see from this InventHelp review. They have experience in working with inventors and we can help you get your idea protected properly.
