Patenting An Idea: What You Need To Know

Patent protections exist in order to help inventors, designers and creators legally safeguard their work from those who would seek to use or profit off of it without express permission. The first thing that a patent applicant must do before formally filing for this type of protection is to determine what kind of application to file.

There are three types of patents available to individuals and businesses. First, those interested in protecting new and unique asexually reproducing plant species and hybrids may file for plant patents. Second, those wishing to safeguard designs of existing manufactured products and processes may consider filing for design patents. And finally, nine out of every ten patent applicants will opt to file for utility patent protections in order to ensure the proprietary nature of their manufactured products, processes and ideas.

Once the correct patent type has been identified, it is time to decide whether to file provisionally or non-provisionally.

Provisional Vs. Non-Provisional Patents

If you are planning to file for a design patent, you only have one type of application available to you. But if you are planning to file for a utility patent, you have two application options available. When the United States Patent and Trademark Office processes patent applications, it grants each request a filing date. This filing date is critical because it is the date that the USPTO will essentially start granting an affected product, process, design or idea protection in the event that a formal patent is eventually granted. This date therefore allows the patent holder a reference point upon which protections may be enforced in court.

The filing date is also critical because when prior art threatens to infringe upon the novelty of the product, idea, design or process in question, the USPTO evaluates the creation of that prior art against the filing date. Practically speaking, this means that the more quickly a patent applicant secures a filing date, the more secure that applicant may rest in the novelty of a creation and the potential for enforcement against any eventual attempts at infringement.

When an individual or business files a non-provisional application, the filing date is secured automatically because this application type formally requests patent protection. This is the only option available to applicants for design patents. Utility applicants may also file a provisional form up to 365 days before filing a nonprovisional request. A provisional application will allow an individual or business to secure a favorable nonprovisional filing date while granting the applicant extra time to formalize their formal, nonprovisional request.

The Patent Application Process

The nonprovisional patent application process is especially intricate and time-consuming. It is important to understand that any incorrect or incomplete elements of an application may lead to its rejection. Given how critical it is for an applicant to secure protections in accordance with an application’s initial filing date, it is best to avoid preventable rejection whenever possible. As a result, it is generally a good idea for both individuals and businesses seeking patent protection to work with legal counsel experienced in intellectual property matters as they prepare to file their applications.

When compiling necessary information for an application, write down every detail that could possibly impact the filing. Dates of improvements to the product, prototype drawings, research notes, etc., may all help to ensure that the USPTO ultimately determines that a product, process, idea or design is novel, non-obvious and (when required) useful. Aiding your attorney by providing all potentially relevant information will be very helpful to the process of compiling and filing your application.

It is worth noting that if for some reason your application is rejected twice, you may be able to appeal the USPTO’s original determination. Your attorney will be able to assist you with the appeals process. Similarly, if you feel the need to amend your application before it has been formally reviewed, your attorney will be able to assist you with the amendment process.

If filing a patent doesn't work out, other avenues to explore may be copyright, trademark and trade secret rights. I believe that creative work is uniquely valuable and should be protected under the law.

The information provided here is not legal advice and does not purport to be a substitute for advice of counsel on any specific matter. For legal advice, you should consult with an attorney concerning your specific situation.

Source: Forbes.com

Read More

How do copyrights and patents differ?

What they cover

Copyrights cover “original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression.” The word “authorship” might be misleading to a layperson, insofar as it suggests strictly written works. It’s more general: audio, video, dance choreography, sculpture, architectural works, and others are also covered.

Copyright in Vietnam 

Patents cover… more specific things. They can cover concrete things, like machines or chemicals. They can cover less tangible things, like methods of doing stuff (like methods of manufacturing a machine or chemical). In some cases they can have the practical effect of covering algorithms.

(That last sentence might be like nails on a chalkboard to some patent-educated folks, because technically pure algorithms aren’t patentable. I don’t think that discussion is illuminating in the context of this basic, foundational question.)

How to get them

Getting a copyright is easy. As soon as the metaphorical pen leaves the metaphorical paper, the author has rights. If you write a poem on a cocktail napkin, you instantly hold the copyright on your poem. That’s true even if your poem is identical to a poem someone else wrote. In other words, there’s no “novelty” requirement for copyrights. It must only be original, in the sense that you came up with it through your own creative process.

It’s a lot harder to secure patent rights. You first draft a patent application and send it to the patent office. That application is very closely scrutinized and researched by a patent examiner. The patent examiner will determine whether your invention is novel (and some other requirements).

Typically, the process takes many years to successfully navigate. It’s also very costly. There are also filing fees with the patent office over the lifetime of the application, typically amounting to a grand or two but possibly more.

How long they last

A patent, if granted, lasts 20 years from the date the application was filed.

A copyright lasts longer. How long depends on whether the author is a person (or people), or if the work is a “work for hire” from a corporation.

If the author is a person or people, then the copyright lasts for 70 years after the death of the last living author. If it’s a work for hire (or an anonymous or pseudonymous work), then it’s the shorter of 95 years from first publication, or 120 years from creation.

It’s actually a little more complicated than that, because Congress had monkeyed around with the duration of copyrights. In practice, there are different rules based on the date the work was created or first published. But what I said above applies to works created today.

What they prevent

If I have a patent, I can stop anyone else from making, using, selling, or offering to sell my patented invention.

If I have a copyright on my work, I can stop anyone else from copying, distributing copies, and creating derivative works of my work. For those works that can be publicly performed or displayed, I can stop others from public performance or display.

Both of these categories of rights are subject to limitations and defenses. I won’t go into what they are, especially for copyrights.

Source: Quora.com

Read More

How is patent prosecution distinct from patent litigation?

Patent prosecution refers to the process of interacting with the patent office to have claims allowed and the patent issued.

Litigation refers to “court-related proceedings, ” typically AFTER a patent is issued (say, suing someone for infringement, etc.)

Vietnam Patent

Patent prosecution happens when you (as an inventor), your patent attorney, and the examiner at a patent office are engaged in the process of getting a patent granted on your intellectual property.

Main steps that are part of the patent prosecution process include:

a) Preparation and filing of a patent application with or without the help of a patent attorney.

b) A patent office examiner responding to your filings and taking an office action which may include legal arguments and reasons for rejecting or accepting your claims and arguments.

c) You or your patent attorney responding to an office action using sound legal arguments and providing supporting facts in your favor.

d) Patent office granting you a patent if everything goes well, and, thereby, granting you rights as an inventor and giving your a monopoly on the use of your patent’s methods for a fixed number of years.

Patent litigation is a totally different beast. It happens only when you discover that somebody (generally a corporation) is infringing upon your patent’s rights and you take some concrete actions in order to stop infringement.

Inventors are granted a monopoly power by the patent office on their intellectual property in a known jurisdiction (e.g., US). Inventors are free to negotiate and charge any licensing fees from others who want to use their intellectual property.

If somebody is using your invention without having any licensing rights from you to use your invention, they are infringing upon your patent. Patent litigation is a highly technical process because you (as an inventor) have to create detailed claim charts (Claim Chart: Everything You Need to Know) to prove infringement. It is a lengthy legal process that is also highly expensive.

Read More