By performing a patent search your aim is to discover if any patents or published patent applications are in existence, which may affect or limit the scope of your patent application. Based on the patent search results you can determine whether or not your invention is patentable.

You need to know if your invention is already patented (issued as a patent) or is in the process of being considered to be eligible to be patented (published patent application). Based on the patent search results you can determine whether your invention is patentable and to what degree it is patentable. Currently, there are some seven million issued patents issued by the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), which means that there are more patents in existence than actual products commercially available. If you do not see your invention for sale in a store, on the Internet, or in the public domain (public disclosure), that does not mean that someone has not pursued protection for the same or similar invention under a patent or disclosed the same invention in a published article. Your goal with a patent search is to have a full understanding of the patents and patent applications filed prior to your invention, which may have a bearing on the scope of patent protection available for your invention.

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A provisional application for patent is a lower-cost U.S. patent application for patent filed in the United States Patent Office (USPTO). A provisional patent application allows filing without formal drawings, an oath or declaration, a formal patent claim, or any information disclosure (prior art) statement. In addition, the provisional patent is not examined by the USPTO but allows the term “Patent Pending” to be applied in connection with the description of the invention.

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Invention help for Inventors

Inventor Start Kit™ is a digital download of easy to follow information & instructions for inventors, including documents and forms for privately documenting your invention for your own safe keeping, how to perform a patent search & trademark search, and how to perform product research. These are the must do first steps for every inventor!

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By: Patent Attorney Mat Grell

Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Invention Confidentiality Agreement (NDA)

Invention Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is a digital download of easy to follow set of NDA documents including a confidentiality agreement, invention help information & inventor help instructions regarding disclosure of your invention, an actual NDA Agreement, and your own ready to use NDA Form to protect the disclosure of your ideas and inventions, information, description and drawings, all known as confidential information.

Click her to purchase your own NDA

By: Patent Attorney Mat Grell