Patents Articles

Chances are the latest Adidas t-shirt you just bought has a ‘Made in China’ tag on it. No matter what aspect of modern day manufacturing one looks into, China is the land of promise. Organizations all over the US and Europe are investing millions of dollars in outsourced production centers in China, but piracy and counterfeiting is still the biggest concern for organizations. In 2006, US industry lost nearly $512 billion dollars due to piracy and counterfeiting. Today, everything from fake Gucci handbags to spurious car parts are being produced in China.

Are you confused about what a patent is and whether you should get one?

This is a primer for beginning inventors that answers your most commonly asked questions.

Questions include what is a patent, what is patent pending, what protection does a patent provide, should you keep your invention secret, and more.

A must-read for inventors at all experience levels.

Some may think that brilliant men like Thomas Edison and Nicolai Tesla are rare these days but I know better. As a matter of fact I have a friend who is a certifiable genius inventor, inventing things like an engine that runs on tap water and a device that increases gas mileage by nearly 40%.

For those who cannot afford to dish out thousands of dollars for a patent lawyer, do it yourself patents can be a great alternative. Do it yourself patents can be done if you are up to the challenge. It is not impossible although the biggest drawback on do it yourself patents is that you are not afforded the luxury of having professional advice.

If you have an idea or invention you may need a US Patent to protect it. Someone else could steal your idea, so it is always a good idea to understand patents and what they can do for you.

You may have a fantastic invention and obtained a patent for it but you will fail to stop the infringer if any one of the many formality requirements of the patent laws are ignored when writing the patent.

To win in a patent lawsuit, you must have a strong patent, a patent that contains a broad as well as a narrow definition of your invention.

If the proposed new rules take effect, the patent applicant must excercize great care in disclosing documents that pertain to the invention. It is important to secure a patent and not create potential ammunition for a competitor to defeat the patent.

A patent application is a serious legal document and should be prepared with great care. This requires knowledge of the industry, i.e., what has been done before and what the competition might try to get around the patent. In the wake of the proposed rules, the importance of writing a good patent application cannot be overemphasized.

A patent does not guarantee that you will be able to stop an infringer. Just make sure that the patent is strong and squeaky clean, and that there is no skeleton in the closet.