Whenever I speak with a new inventor, the first question they ask is “Is my idea patentable”? I usually tell them “I don’t know” because in order to truly answer that question I would have to do a patent search and even then I cannot be 100% certain as you never know what type […]
Do patent applications and confidentiality agreements offer the same level of protection for my invention? A confidentiality agreement is an agreement to keep the information disclosed by the inventor secret. This secrecy requirement is common among all confidentiality agreements, although other terms may be incorporated into the agreement. Unfortunately, even if the investor or licensee […]
There are two main reasons why inventors choose to re-file their provisional patent application: They simply do not have enough money to pay for the full utility (non-provisional) application which usually costs at least $3,500 including attorney/agent time They are still working on their invention and are not ready to commit or be locked into […]
Here is a mistake we see time and time again. Many inventors fall into the trap of describing their invention with language that discloses only one way of making their invention. They become so focused on their specific way they are making and building their product they often forget there could be alternatives they have […]
According to Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator. What matters is not ideas, but the people who have them. Good people can fix bad ideas, but good ideas can’t save bad people. He goes on to write – “A lot of would-be startup founders think the key to the whole process is the initial idea, […]
At least a few times each week I find myself talking people out of filing a patent. Here are the most common reasons why I don’t think a patent should be filed. Unpatentable Subject Matter Not every single invention or business idea can qualify for a patent. You may have the best idea in the […]