Patent applications may seem like an easy process, but it takes much longer than you think. You may not believe that not all ideas or inventions can be patented, but the domestic patent process can work through the help of a patent attorney. However, the domestic patent process must be applied carefully. There may be others who claim they may have had the same idea well before you, delaying the process to obtain a patent.
Patent Law and The Domestic Patent Process
Every patent application contains many challenges and required the assistance of patent attorneys and other professionals. If you submit an application you are one of about 500,000 applications received annually by the USPTO. That leaves a great amount of room for applications to be delayed or pushed back if they do not seem to be as important. While an application filing may only allow a new patent to last 20 years, it is also important to remember that within the 12 industries that use patents, only about half of all applications processed are approved. This means that a patent lawyer may be of the greatest help to confirm that you complete the process by the rules.
Attorney Assistance in The Domestic Patent Process
Patent attorneys work specifically in patent law, while they also specialize in intellectual property practice and trademark law. These are difficult work as well, although the applications for trademarks and copyright are not necessarily as hard as patents. Stolen intellectual property may happen easily, providing the long-term need for patent protection. It also includes the question of whether your patent, trademark or copyright has been stolen by another and when or where it may have happened. This is a sure time where you will need the assistance of a patent lawyer. Acquiring your patent, trademark, or copyright can be a challenge at the beginning, and then making sure that laws are followed can be a challenge for the long term. Patent attorneys hold various roles worldwide, considering differences in international intellectual property law. Therefore, patent lawyers sometimes need a broad knowledge of patent law and intellectual property law around the world because of the creation, manufacturing, and distribution of products internationally.
Completing the Patent Application
This is a challenging process from the beginning to end that may take months or even years to complete. It often has to be renewed or resubmitted several times. Without the assistance of a patent lawyer, it is easy to let the 12-month expiration of a single application pass. Therefore, the process needs to be started again. With the help of a patent lawyer, following the regulations of the domestic patent process, things move much smoother.
No matter how difficult the initial patent application may be, your patent attorney can help. They will know when specific forms need to be filled out and submitted in order to receive the initial “patent pending” status. Patent lawyers also help with intellectual property questions of trademarks and copyright as needed. Some applications may be more applicable than others in relation to the invention or idea that you present to the USPTO. Luckily, with the initial application complete, you have 12 months to continue the process and work on gaining approval, and with the support of that attorney things look up.
