What Is The Patent Process?

At Patent King in Las Vegas, our patent attorneys are here to help you protect your intellectual property (IP). When it comes to patents and copyrights, we can provide guidance on a design or utility patent search, patent prosecution, and more. However, if you’re not familiar with how the patent process works, we can provide insight into that as well. In this post, we’ll look at the patent process and how you can get started on your patent application. Keep reading to learn more, and please contact us with any questions.

Conduct A Patent Search

When you’ve created something new to meet a need that you’ve seen, you not only want to get credit for your creation, you also want to ensure that money earned from the creation goes to you! One of the most important steps after successfully inventing something new is to patent your work!

Apply For A Patent

In order to obtain a patent, an applicant must file a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO will then review the application to determine whether it meets the requirements for patentability.

Patent Examination

After you have filed your application, the USPTO will assign it to an examiner, who will review it to determine whether it meets the requirements for patentability. If the examiner finds that the IP is not novel, the application will be rejected. However, if the examiner believes that the IP is patentable, they will issue a notice of allowance and the applicant will be required to pay a fee to have the patent issued.

Secure And Maintain Your Patent

Once you have paid the fee to have the patent issued, the USPTO will provide the proper type of patent for your IP. After your patent is issued and published, you may need to provide maintenance fees to keep the patent in force beyond four, eight, and 12 years, if you have a utility patent. Our team can help you understand the next steps once you’ve received your patent.

Patents can be a valuable asset for businesses and individuals, so if you have an IP that you think is worthy of protection, don’t hesitate to contact us at Patent King to discuss your options.