Do It Yourself Patents

If ypu cannot afford the high cost of a patent lawyerr, do it yourself patents can be a great alternative. The biggest stumbling block to do it yourself patent is the lack of proffessional advice. There are several merits on do it yourself patents that you cannot just push aside. Also, do it yourself patents enables you to learn several skills and improve your ability to research. The most basic step is to ensure that your invention qualifies for a patent or what you call patentable. To start, you would need to describe all aspects of your invention. As with all new endeavors, you will succeed by trial and error, but by taking the process of do it yourself patents one step at a time, you most likely will be able to acquire a patent.

The basic steps on do it yourself patents are as follows:

1. Keep a careful record of your invention. In do it yourself patents it is important to keep a record of the invention process in a notebook. Sign and date of each entry accompanied by signatures of two reliable witnesses.

2. Make sure your invention qualifies for patent protection. In do it yourself patents you need to show that your invention is new, non-obvious and useful.

3. Assess the commercial potential of your invention. Before you spend the time and money to file a patent application, you need to research the market you hope to enter.

4. Perform a thorough patent search. To make sure your invention is new, you need to search all the earlier developments in your field. This involves searching U.S. (patents, as well as other publications like scientific and technical journals, to find related inventions).

5. Prepare and file an application with the USPTO. This step on do it yourself patents lets you have a choice when you file with the USPTO. You can file a full-blown regular patent application (RPA) or you can file a provisional patent application (PPA) on the invention. Filing a PPA allows you to claim patent pending status for the invention but involves only a small fraction of the work and cost of a regular patent application. All that is required to file a PPA is a fee of $80 ($160 for large companies), a detailed description of the invention, telling how to make and use it, and an informal drawing.