Do I Need a Lawyer to Patent My Idea?

“Can I patent an idea myself” and “do I really need a lawyer to patent my idea” are a few of the most asked questions we get when it comes to product development.

The answer is yes. Of course you can patent your idea on your own and no you really don’t need a lawyer to patent your idea.

Any individual can prepare the necessary documents required to file a patent application. You will need to prepare an abstract, a specification and drawings.

Documents required to prepare a patent application:

The abstract is a brief summary of the content specification. In other words it’s what sums up your idea. The specification is a clear and comprehensive description of the invention or idea along with a list of claims that define the limitations of the protection. The drawings vary based on the type of patent you are filing for. They are a set of drawings showing different angles, features and functions of your invention. The pages of these drawings have figure numbers and the drawings have specific numbers that reference details of each part of your invention. 

Does it sound simple or are things starting to get overwhelming?

If this is not intimidating enough some people look into similar patents and follow similar guides that they see in existing patents. But the reality is that the description, specification, claims and drawings are all meticulously connected and written in ways that can get your idea protected further than what you thought possible. Professional patent lawyers are trained to look ahead of the things. They know what to expect if your idea is infringing on another patent. They write in very broad ways so the protection of your idea is not limited to the use of words but instead is widened to encompass further spectrums.

A patent lawyer knows how to manage the document if a patent agent rejects all your claims and they know how to write things to work around existing claims. What would you do? Probably think you have no more possibilities for protection? Do you think you can manage this and protect your invention in the right way? If it were me I would get a professional to do it.

If you have any questions about how to protect your idea give us a call we can help!