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Was wondering what is the best approach?
Any experience you can share working with Patent Attorney.
The patent attorney I knew (top drawer guy btw) gave me this bit of advice:
Just build your better mousetrap then sell enough of them at enough of a margin to afford an attorney
to represent you through the various processes. Or not. But use product income to pay for it.
The patent attorney I knew (top drawer guy btw) gave me this bit of advice:
Just build your better mousetrap then sell enough of them at enough of a margin to afford an attorney
to represent you through the various processes. Or not. But use product income to pay for it.
Thanks for the spelling error correction! What was I thinking? LOL
The patent attorney I knew (top drawer guy btw) gave me this bit of advice:
Just build your better mousetrap then sell enough of them at enough of a margin to afford an attorney
to represent you through the various processes. Or not. But use product income to pay for it.
I’m not a patent attorney, but this is a huge mistake. Most would file for a provisional patent first while the idea is developed further or to ‘test’ the market (in order to protect against potential competitors/redesign). It will also make the nonprovisional application (within 12 months) easier - provided, of course, the provisional has been completed correctly and thoroughly as an interim step.
OP - I’d recommend a patent attorney as opposed to doing it yourself; shoddy advice and applications which don’t provide enough detail are common mistakes that may jeopardize your protection.
I’m not a patent attorney, but this is a huge mistake. Most would file for a provisional patent first while the idea is developed further or to ‘test’ the market (in order to protect against potential competitors/redesign). It will also make the nonprovisional application (within 12 months) easier - provided, of course, the provisional has been completed correctly and thoroughly as an interim step.
OP - I’d recommend a patent attorney as opposed to doing it yourself; shoddy advice and applications which don’t provide enough detail are common mistakes that may jeopardize your protection.
Thank you. FYI, I have filed the Provisional Patent and now moving toward the next step.
Again, I’m not a patent attorney (nor do I know the city you live or your circumstances) - it’s going to depend the amount of time required i.e. how thorough the provisional was (keep in mind mistakes are common when people file on their own, and it can be more expensive/time consuming to undo mistakes than if it had just been filed correctly from the start, if that’s the case).
I’m guessing you’ll pay $400-500 per hour for a patent attorney - but you’ll need a consultation to determine the amount of time needed for your situation. Most secure an attorney for the entire process rather than coming in midstream.
I used to work with a previous employer's patent attorney that handled the small company's patent library. He was charging around $300/hour This was in mid 2000s in LA County, I'm sure the prices have gone up. If you are in the early start of your invention, I would go to USPTO.Gov and start to search on that site for some tips. You should document your record of invention and also conduct a prior art search. I believe USPTO.GOV has some resources for prior art searches. Good luck.
I have previously filed for a provisional patent with the USPTO. I have found a local IP lawyer that charges a flat rate so I think I will go with them.
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