{"id":136624,"date":"2023-05-30T23:52:56","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T23:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/?p=136624"},"modified":"2023-06-02T21:45:31","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T21:45:31","slug":"how-to-patent-a-product-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/business-strategies\/how-to-patent-a-product-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Patent a Product: Idea, Process, and Invention","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re an inventor or an innovator, you ought to be pleased with the fresh ideas you’re bringing forth. A patent can assist you in receiving the praise you merit for your ideas. For a detailed explanation of how to patent a product, continue reading.<\/p>

How to Patent a Product or Idea <\/span><\/h2>

A patent formally acknowledges an invention’s property rights. Patents safeguard both tangible and intangible forms of the invention. In accordance with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), anybody who “invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent.” The typical U.S. patent is valid for 20 years from filing a patent application.<\/p>

Types of Patents.<\/span><\/h3>

According to current patent law, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can grant three different categories of patents:<\/p>

#1. Utility Patents<\/span><\/h4>

Utility patents according to the USPTO, are “granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.”<\/p>

#2. Design Patents <\/span><\/h4>

As the name suggests, design patents are concerned more with aesthetics than utility. The USPTO describes design patents as covering “a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.”<\/p>

#3. Plant Patents <\/span><\/h4>

Plants are patentable in the United States, which may surprise you. The USPTO offers the patenting procedure to “anyone who discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.”<\/p>

Steps on How to Patenting a Product or Idea<\/span><\/h3>

The patent application procedure is designed to be user-friendly for the typical inventor while being challenging enough to distinguish between genuine inventions and inferior concepts that fall short of the legal requirements set forth by the government. When you submit an application for a patent, the patent examiners at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will analyze your invention and assess its patentability by contrasting it with previously released goods and concepts. It takes time; on average, you’ll have to wait 18 to 24 months before learning the outcome of your patent application. Following these important pointers will help you prepare for the filing date of your patent:<\/p>

#1. Verify That Your Concept Qualifies for Patentability<\/span><\/h4>

If someone else invented your product before you, you won’t want to go through the entire patenting process. <\/p>

#2. Keep Notes. <\/span><\/h4>

The existence of your invention should be documented as soon as possible. It’s likely that another inventor will be developing a comparable product at the same time, therefore, you’ll need to demonstrate the timeline of your creation to demonstrate that you didn’t steal any ideas. <\/p>

#3. Create a Model. <\/span><\/h4>

The government will need a thorough explanation of the invention you want to patent. Making a working prototype and including a detailed written description of how it functions are the only ways to achieve this.<\/p>

#4. Get Ready to Part With Cash. <\/span><\/h4>

Patents don’t come cheap. For simpler ideas, the process typically costs $5,000, but it can reach $20,000. Government expenses as well as the cost of valuable assistance are to blame for this. <\/p>

#5. You Might Want to Submit a Provisional Patent Application.<\/span><\/h4>

The patent application process could seem intimidating and unreasonably expensive to a small company like a startup or a sole practitioner. You can submit a provisional patent application to swiftly and affordably protect your idea. <\/p>

#6. Recognize That an International Patent Might Also Be Required.<\/span><\/h4>

The USPTO protects your rights as an inventor in the United States. As a condition of trade agreements, many nations uphold one another’s patents, but you could discover that an international patent office is necessary to completely protect oneself.<\/p>

How to Patent a Product Design <\/span><\/h3>

By protecting your original product design with a patent, you can use and market it legally and make money off of an item’s distinctive appearance.<\/p>

A product design patent offers you the right to use, market, and profit from an item’s distinctive appearance. It also gives you a legal claim to your original design. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will accept design patent applications if you want to protect a design. To be eligible for a patent, a product design must fulfill a few prerequisites:<\/p>