Product Patent Overview

A product patent, according to Wikipedia, is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state (national government) to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for a public disclosure of an invention.

A product patent’s main purpose is to protect your idea from being used by other parties. “A patent is a legal document that is granted to the first person to invent a particular invention” states Nicholas Godici, former Commissioner of Patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). “It allows them to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention that’s described in the patent for a period of twenty years from the date that they first filed the application.”

How to Patent a Product

Search Current Product Patents

The first step of how to patent an idea or product is searching the USPTO’s official records to see if your idea is already patented.

It’s very important that you explore the records thoroughly before doing anything else. If there is already a product patent for your idea and you don’t know it, you can waste a lot of money and time pursuing the product patent only to have it denied.

This step of how to patent an idea or product must be taken very seriously!

Hire a Product Patent Agent

It’s extremely difficult to learn the correct ways of how to patent an idea or product. Many people try to do it on their own and only end up with a narrow and undefined product patent that is useless in the marketplace.

The reason you hire a patent agent is that they know the ins and outs of the US patent agency. They understand the process of submitting the claim and getting it accepted with broad language that can sometimes cover more than your original idea.

Hiring a patent agent to get your product patent is also important because big corporations that want to use your idea have their own patent attorneys that will look for every loophole possible to steal your idea and make money with it. If you didn’t get your product patent done correctly, then you can kiss your idea goodbye because these guys don’t play nice.

Can’t Afford a Product Patent Agent?

If you can’t afford a patent agent or patent attorney, then my suggestion would be to find someone you trust to invest in your business. The last thing you want to do is use one of those phony invention companies you see on TV.

The reason I urge you not to use a free invention service is because they will rip you off when it’s all said and done. You want to retain ownership of your idea at all times!

I recommend using an American Patent Agency to help you get your product patent.