3 Reasons an Attorney Will Make the Patent Process Painless

Intellectual property practices are definitely a slippery slope, especially for the average person. That’s why it’s important to protect your intellectual property with a patent when possible. Since patent law and trademark law can sometimes be difficult to understand, it’s imperative to find the best patent attorney when it’s time to obtain a patent and protect yourself.

Though you may think that patent lawyers are an expensive and unnecessary part of the patent process, they can truly help you navigate the world of patents and ensure that you’re adhering to the best intellectual property practices for your specific product and situation. Here are some things that a patent attorney can help you navigate:

Provisional Patent

The first place to start is with a provisional patent. A provisional patent application, protects your invention for a period of twelve months. That gives you the time to pitch your idea or invention to potential investors or buyers with the likely patent in the future. In other words, you’ll be a able claim that there’s a “patent pending” on your product. If you haven’t filed for a regular patent application in twelve months, the provisional patent application expires, and your invention will be unprotected. A PPA does not mature into a patent. The right attorney can get that “patent pending” title going as quickly as possible.

Saving Time and Avoiding Mistakes

Sometimes the patent process can be lengthy. There are over 500,000 patent applications submitted to USPTO every year, so it’s important to remember that this process will definitely take some time – in many cases longer than we may like! A patent lawyer can ensure that no hiccups are found throughout the process and help save at least some of that valuable time.

Writing Skills

Though it may not be the obvious issue that comes to mind, writing is an important part of getting your patent in the best possible shape to protect you. All information needs to be clear, concise, and, in some cases, is riddled with mundane terminology that’s used only in the patent process. Unfortunately, when writing a provisional patent application, it’s easy to overlook parts of your invention or product in your wording. Ultimately, this could be a costly mistake and could even leave key elements of your product left unprotected by your patent.

Though it may seem costly now, the price to get a patent or trademark lawyer to best utilize intellectual property practices for your product today will likely be much cheaper than facing legal fees, or worse, lawsuits in the future of your business.