Protecting Your Ideas

149

Review

Patent drawings are not drawn in the same manner as tradition-

al engineering or architectural drawings. The U.S.P.T.O. is very par-

ticular about the patent drawings and publishes a one-half-inch-

thick book containing rules and examples relating to patent

drawings. ~6 Because of the specialized nature of patent drawings, it is

usually necessary to employ the services of a patent draftsperson to

prepare the drawings.

ABSTRACT

The abstract is a general description of the technical dis-

closure provided in the specification.

The purpose of the abstract is to enable the U.S.P.T.O. and the

public to quickly learn the gist of the disclosure. The abstract is not

used to interpret the meaning of the claims. Although the abstract

appears on the front page of the issued patent, it is submitted as the

last page of the patent application.

Review

Employing the assistance of a patent practitioner goes beyond

preparing the patent application. The inventor benefits from the

practitioner's experience working with the people and being familiar

with the system at the U.S.P.T.O. Being properly prepared and having

the information the patent practitioner needs to prepare the patent

application maximizes the efficiency of the time spent preparing the

patent application and will ultimately save money with respect to the

practitioner's fees.

Every utility patent application contains, at a minimum, a

background section, a summary, a detailed description, at least one