A patent is a property right often referred to as a "limited monopoly." It is designed to give inventors the right to exclude others from using, manufacturing, and selling their inventions in a given country. Before receiving a patent, inventors must disclose the process by which their invention is made and how it works. As a part of the bargain, after a patent expires, the invention is released into public domain for all to use and improve.

There are three types of patents:

As one of the first steps in applying for a patent, you must decide if you want a provisional application or a non-provisional application. Whichever you decide upon, you will eventually need to file a non-provisional. However, many opt to start with the provisional application. In doing this, not only is the upfront cost lowered, but the words "patent pending" can be used on the product even as you continue to develop your invention before proceeding to the more final filing of the non-provisional patent application.

Subsequently, you will need to decide whether or not to use a patent attorney. Our experience shows that many inventors can file a basic provisional patent application on their own; however, in doing so most risk not disclosing enough in the specification to support a patent. Also, in many cases, the time taken to draft a provisional application by yourself is usually measured in multiples over what a patent attorney would take, simply because we, as a whole, have done this many times before. Thus the results are faster and more complete. In any event, when the time comes to file the non-provisional application, it is highly beneficial to have an experienced attorney who knows how to work with the United States Patent & Trademark Office and how to meet all standards while making your patent as strong and broad as possible.

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