Have an idea for a product that you wish to market and eventually sell in the United States in the future? Then you should consider protecting your idea with a patent. A patent is a property right granted by the U.S. government to an inventor “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States, or importing the invention into the United States” for a specific time frame. You will need to visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office to determine if your product is patentable. Generally, in order to qualify for a patent, the invention must be novel. Abstract ideas, as well as literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic works cannot be patented. However, these can be copyright protected – a concept that will be further discussed in a subsequent post. Patents need to be filed with due diligence and in a timely manner, so we would encourage anyone interested in safeguarding their idea for a product to do so as quickly as possible. For further information on the patent registration process, click here: uspto.gov/inventors/patents.jsp.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 16:44:26 +0000