The Complete Guide to Securing Your Own U.S. Patent: A Step-by-Step Road Map to Protect Your Ideas and Inventions
What do all of these famous inventions have in common: air conditioning, airbags, bandages, barbed wire, blow dryers, can openers, cement, chewing gum, computers, credit cards, doughnuts, jeans, microwave ovens, paper towels, Play-Doh, Post-it Notes, potato chips, roller coasters, safety pins, Scotch tape, skateboards, staplers, straws, sunscreen, typewriters, Viagra, zippers? They were all invented in the United States by American inventors, and they all went on to make fortunes for the inventors and those companies licensing the ideas. Don’t be left out, and don’t spend thousands in unnecessary legal fees, you can file your own patent with the step-by-step guidance in this new book.
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the number of patents filed in the U.S. increased from 186,507 in 1992 to 406,302 in 2005. Approximately one out of five patents is filed by the prospective owner/inventor. You’ll find that only minimal assistance if any is needed from an attorney or agent in securing your patent.
This book offers a simple, straightforward introduction to patent law written in layman’s terms. This book is written for inventors not attorneys, and for those that want to save thousands on legal fees protecting their ideas and inventions.
A patent protects an invention and gives an exclusive right to the benefits of an invention. A patent is in essence a contract between the United States government and holder of an invention. This new book will explain how to secure a patent on your own without expensive attorney fees. If you think you have a great invention then you need this extremely detailed and comprehensive guide to the process of getting a patent.
The book covers everything needed and easily explained from the initial patent search to filing a successful and hopefully financially lucrative application. Even if you ultimately decide to use the services of a patent attorney which in some cases is recommended, this book will get the process started and still save you considerable legal fees. The book is, in fact, good reading even for the inventor who plans to hire patent counsel; it helps the inventor to be a more knowledgeable client. The companion CD-ROM contains all the necessary forms and checklists you will need to file your patent.
The Complete Guide to Securing Your Own U.S. Patent is exactly what it says—a comprehensive handbook. Subtitled A Step-by-Step Road Map to Protect Your Ideas and Inventions, this book by Jamaine Burrell is a clear, easy-to-follow reference for an inventor who wishes to safeguard his invention.
The book begins by defining the types of patents and the requirements for each and ends with descriptions of patent infringements and legal remedies. In between the reader will find instructions about how to document the development of an invention, including the importance of confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements. I was particularly interested in the chapters which described the differences between copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and patents. The author does his best to clarify the confusing patent search process. Other chapters deal with the application process and include images of the patent forms. The author even devotes a chapter to marketing, manufacturing, and distribution of patented inventions. The book includes appendices, which include fee schedules, and a glossary. I appreciated the chapter sidebars, which contain advice from an experienced patent attorney.
In my mind, the weakest part of the book is the bibliography, which does not include complete citations of the reference works. This minor weakness does not in any way damage the value of this book as an essential tool for the inventor.
Comment by Sustaina — September 20, 2007 @ 9:28 am