Protecting Your Company's Intellectual Property: A Practical Guide to Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents & Trade Secrets

The Utility Patent Application Process

If the search reveals that the invention probably qualifies for patent protection and does not infringe that of another inventor, a patent application should be prepared and filed with the PTO. Unlike trademark and copyright applications, which can be prepared and filed easily by their owners, patent applications are highly technical and nearly always require expert assistance. Although inventors can prepare their own applications, approximately 80 percent of inventors retain patent attorneys or agents to prepare and file their patent applications. Patent attorneys generally have science or technical degrees in addition to law degrees. Many law firms have groups of patent attorneys, each devoted to a certain ...