Do you have a great idea or have you actually invented something you know the world has been waiting for? If so, you need to know how to patent an idea before someone else does. There is a story of a man many years ago who created his own bar soap for his family. This was before the bar soap was on the market and the man’s family told him he needed to market it or patent it and he refused not thinking it was worth anything. Someone close to the family, stole the recipe used to make the soap, sold it, and became a very wealthy man. The point is, if you have an idea or a product, obtaining a patent is a sure way to protect your idea.
Steps to Patent an Idea
- The idea must be useful, in other words it must be unique and something that the average person would use
- It needs to function properly, if the idea and then the product you make from your idea is useless and does not function, then there is no chance of a patent
- Must be a unique product idea and not based on something already on the market. For instance, you could not patent an idea of a computer that looks exactly like a Dell or iMac.
- The idea cannot be a natural phenomena or a law of nature – for instance, someone could not patent a thunderstorm
Before you run out to begin the patent process, first make sure no one has beat you to it by searching on the United State Patent and Trademark Office www.uspto.gov and of course search various major search engines to see if your idea has already been created or patented.
Once you have cleared your idea, it is not already in existence, and it is a unique product, you will want to apply for the patent through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The application consists of a full description of the idea, images of it that has been drawn, and the item defined thoroughly. Once you file your patent, it receives a “patent-pending.”
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At this point, you have to actually demonstrate a functional model of your product. This demonstration must be a fully functional model. There are numerous fees involved in the patenting of an item including initial application fee, search fee, examination fee, and if your application is successful a $1,400 issue fee. Total fees from the time you begin the patent process to the end ranges from $1,500 to $2,500 if you handle everything yourself. If you decide to enlist an attorney, total fees could end up being $6,000 to $11,000. While it is a big decision and will cost you some out of pocket money along with your time, if you have a product idea that you know the world needs, it is definitely worth taking the risk, think about the man that invented the bar soap but did not patent an idea.
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