The time to consult with a patent attorney is before you file your patent. This is opposite of what most people do. They file their patent, and once it is approved, they do not bother to consult with an attorney until they have a problem with the patent office
The main problem with this is that it may be too late for an attorney to help you. It is quite possible that during the filing process you made one or more mistakes that make it impossible for a patent to be granted. The following are three ways a patent lawyer can help prevent this from happening if you consult with him or her before you file.
They can help you with the specifics of your patent
Perhaps the biggest problem an inventor faces when applying for a patent is being specific about what is being protected. For those unfamiliar with the process of applying for a patent, it is common to be too general. Even in situations where your invention is unlike anything else on the market, the patent office will want you to be specific about your claim. An attorney can help you with these specifics. It may turn out that you need to file for more than one patent to protect every patentable aspect of your invention.
They can review your entire application
Although some of the steps in the patent process are seemingly simply, it is easy to make mistakes. For example, you are required to file a drawing of your invention. Even though your illustration may appear good to you, a patent lawyer may be able to make suggestions to improve the drawing.
They can help answer questions from the patent office
It is common for the patent office to have questions about your application. Having an attorney serves you in two ways. The first is that the application will be more organized and complete, therefore, generating fewer questions. Second, if questions do arise, you will have an attorney ready to field them. They have the legal knowledge to understand exactly how to answer the question or what is needed by the patent office. If there are technical questions, a lawyer can consult with you and your expertise through the legal prism that they understand.
Every aspect of the patent claim process is made more thorough with the assistance of an attorney. This type of robust approach to the application process will give your patent claim a better chance of being granted, and will also make your patent stronger to defend against any encroachment from other companies. For more tips, contact a firm such as Kaufhold & Dix Patent Law.
Share28 May 2015
When I started my first small business, I had no idea how much I really didn’t know. I was fully prepared to deal with customers, sell product and even handle complaints and returns. What I wasn’t aware of was that there is so much more to it. I was lacking the legal expertise to protect the company and myself. I wanted others to benefit from my experience, mistakes and lessons learned, so I started this blog. From employment law to the legal business contracts you’ll have to sign when you form partnerships, business law is complex. I hope that the information here will help you to be better prepared when you start your business so that you’ll know when you need to call an attorney and when you can handle things yourself.
