Patent Info

If you found this page you are probably looking for some patent info and seeking to protect a new idea. When patenting an idea there are a few important questions you should consider:

• Is my idea worthy of patenting?
• Have I done a patent search?
• Have I done enough research on my idea?

It’s surprising how many people file a patent without the minimal required information. The patent process is just the beginning of your venture in creating a new product, and also just the beginning of the money you will spend. Please, we cannot stress this enough: find the basic patent info you need. This will help you decide if you should move forward.

If you need a professional product design firm with years of experience to guide you along this path, please contact us. We offer a free consultation and will help you with the patent process.

If you cannot afford a company to help you with this portion of the product development process, at least make sure you are as thorough as you can possibly be with your research. Here are a few tips on what should be done. Use the tools available to you. Start with the following patent info:

• Google: Google your new idea extensively. Don’t just search the name and move forward. Google the idea and possible similar ideas and terms. Add the description of your idea. Search for features of your idea and the parts and functions of your idea. Google companies that sell similar products to your idea. If any similar ideas have patent numbers, search for those. Look into the industry and check what your competition is doing.
• Patent Search: As an inventor, we encourage you to search the USPTO’s patent database and also the patent database of any country where you are planning on patenting. You can do a quick search, advanced search, and patent number search for both Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT) and USPTO Patent Application Full-Text and Image Database (AppFT). Take your time with this process. If you find prior art, that does not mean the end of your idea. Understanding the prior art can help you refine your idea and make it novel and, therefore, patentable.

The number of patents being filed is increasing every year so patent searches are very important.

Patent Evaluation

Here is some more important patent info you need. A patent agent will evaluate certain things, namely:

• Is the invention novel?
• Is it useful?
• Is it obvious?

Make sure your new idea meets these criteria so you don’t get rejected by the patent office after you already paid the filing fees.

Patent Drawings

Design patents and utility patents require different drawings. At Spark, we have extensive experience with patent drawings and know how they should be created, shadowed, and numbered.  If you need a company to help you with patent drawings, talk to us.

Conclusions on Patent Information

In summary, here are the things you need to do to get started with patenting an invention. Research as much as you possibly can. Do a patent search of the patent databases of the countries where you will patent. Although there are many patent databases available, try to find an expert company like Spark Innovations to help you during this process. A skilled company can build on the strengths of your patent or refine your patent so it does not infringe other existing art. A non-skilled person may not understand these concepts. Evaluate the patentability of your new idea. Make sure the patent drawings are created to the specifications the patent office requires.

Contact us if you need help with any more patent info or any step of the patent process. Good luck!