Welcome to Patents and Trademarks Guide
Idea Patents Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Patents 101 - The Basics Of Patent Applications
from: Paul JohnsonA patent is an official document given by a national
government to an inventor (or business or corporation) who
wishes to have sole rights over a product for a limited
amount of time. Once the patent is granted, no one else has
the right to make, sell, market, or profit from the
invention.
In the United States, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) allows inventors and patent owners (including
businesses and corporations) to protect their products and
identification from others. Information can be found at
http://www.uspto.gov
Not just anything can be patented. In fact, obtaining a
patent may prove difficult given the necessary paperwork,
research and signatures needed. In order to obtain one, the
invention has to be brand new. This new invention has to
also be useful, original, and not easily created. In the
United States, these products might be machines,
compositions or methods, and manufactured products. Ideas
cannot be patented, nor can products that have been
"improved" or which have "changed" in size.
Plant patents, which protect non-pollinating plants,
utility patents that protect regular, new inventions, and
design patents, which protect the look or creativity of a
tangible product, are examples of the types of patents that
exist under the USPTO.
Patents give an inventor or business corporation the legal
right to own their invention. This means the patent holder
now has a legal monopoly and can do with it, what s/he
desires for the life of the patent. U.S. patents are good
for twenty years from the date the patent was requested.
This can be extended, but is difficult to do. And, payments
to the government must be made throughout the life of the
patent (usually 20 years).
An inventor may sell all their rights to the patent, or may
opt to sell only a certain part of it. When the patent
holder licenses his or her product to a manufacturer, for
example, he or she receives royalties based on the sale of
the product or invention.
The phrase "patent pending" has no legal hold, but simply
means that an individual or corporation is in the act of
patenting a certain product. If an item already has a
patent on it, then the copying of this item is
infringement. The patent holder can file a claim to sue the
accused.
===========================================================
Discover valuable advice and information about patent
searches and applications. Website contains useful articles
about us patent searches & applications
Click ==> http://www.us-patentsearch.com/
About the Author
Paul Johnson works as a software developer. Over the last
ten years, he's made a variety of inventions which he's
patented. He shares his experiences and advice in a series
of articles about us patent searches and patent
applications.
Idea Patents News
Should Microsoft have patented its VPN in the '90s? - Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)
 Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) | Should Microsoft have patented its VPN in the '90s? Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) One of Microsoft's key defense arguments in the VirnetX patent-infringement case is that it invented similar technology years before the patents were even ... |
Let's hear it for common sense - ZDNet UK
Let's hear it for common sense ZDNet UK In the case of MS v i4i, at least the patent laws are actually being used as per the original idea and are (so far) helping i4i to not be totally ripped off ... |
Africa's Gift to Silicon Valley: How to Track a Crisis - New York Times
 New York Times | Africa's Gift to Silicon Valley: How to Track a Crisis New York Times Silicon Valley has been the reigning paradigm of innovation, with its universities, financiers, mentors, immigrants and robust patents. ... |
What Apple's and Microsoft's patent threats mean for start-ups - CNET
 ComputerworldUK | What Apple's and Microsoft's patent threats mean for start-ups CNET ... the patent system is broken. But it's still better than none. Let's think about that for a second. If the little guy came up with a very unique idea, ... Patent Skirmishes Shed Light on Apple-HTC Suit Schwartz Recalls Apple, Microsoft Patent Threats Against Sun Sun fended off Apple, Microsoft IP lawsuit threats |
Open source community 'hopelessly confused' by Apple-HTC suit - Apple Insider
 CNET | Open source community 'hopelessly confused' by Apple-HTC suit Apple Insider Earlier this month, Apple sued HTC, alleging that the smartphone manufacturer has been in violation of 20 iPhone-related patents relating to user interface, ... Apple v. Apple |
Analyst: Apple warned handset makers before suing HTC - CNET
 CNET | Analyst: Apple warned handset makers before suing HTC CNET It only means you have to be the first to patent the idea. It's such a loose and poorly executed process that it has become meaningless, forcing companies ... Tech's Top 5 Patent Battles — Before Apple vs. HTC Apple, RIM, several others targeted in smartphone lawsuit Apple talks tough to handset makers |
Time for drug giants to jump into the patent pool? - The Guardian
Time for drug giants to jump into the patent pool? The Guardian Gilead has at least nominally embraced the idea of a patent pool for HIV drugs, which the donor organisation UNITAID is currently attempting to set up. ... |