Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office, 15th Edition

Patent your creation with the world's bestselling guide to patents! Have a world-class idea? Ready to protect your invention from copycats? Then turn to the best resource available -- Patent It Yourself. Attorney David Pressman takes you through the entire patent process, providing scrupulously updated information and clear instructions to help you: determine if you can patent your invention; understand patent law; evaluate the commercial potential of your idea; perform your own patent search; file a provisional patent application; prepare a formal patent application; respond to patent examiners; amend an application; enforce and maintain your patent; market and license your invention. Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest changes in intellectual property law, this edition also provides the latest U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rules and forms. It includes up-to-date details on filing procedures and patent law, including a 2010 Supreme Court ruling on protection for business method and software patents. Whether you're new at the inventing game or a grizzled veteran, Patent It Yourself will save you grief, time and money. Web Resources......Page 0 Your Legal Companion......Page 19 C. Using an Attorney......Page 20 D. Should You Do It Yourself?......Page 21 F. How to Use Patent It Yourself......Page 23 1. Introduction to Patents and Other Intellectual Property......Page 25 B. The Three Types of Patents......Page 27 C. The Novelty and Unobviousness Requirement......Page 28 F. Patent Fees......Page 31 I. What Rights a Patent Grants and the Prior-Art Reference Value of a Patent......Page 32 J. What Can’t Be Patented......Page 33 L. How Intellectual Property Law Provides “Offensive Rights” (and Not Protection) to Inventors......Page 34 N. Intellectual Property—The Big Picture......Page 35 O. Trademarks......Page 36 P. Copyright......Page 39 Q. Trade Secrets......Page 43 R. Unfair Competition......Page 46 T. Summary of Legal Remedies for Misappropriation of Various Types of Intellectual Property......Page 47 V. Summary......Page 49 2. The Science and Magic of Inventing......Page 51 A. What I Mean by “Invention”......Page 52 B. Inventing by Problem Recognition and Solution......Page 53 C. Inventing by Magic (Accident and Flash of Genius)......Page 55 D. Making Ramifications and Improvements of Your Invention......Page 56 E. Solving Creativity Problems......Page 57 G. Beware of the Novice Inventor’s “PGL Syndrome”......Page 59 I. Summary......Page 60 3. Documentation and the PPA......Page 61 B. Documentation Is Vital to the Invention Process......Page 63 C. Documentation Is Vital to Prove Inventorship......Page 64 D. Trade Secret Considerations......Page 65 E. Record Conception and the Building and Testing of Your Invention......Page 66 F. How to Record Your Invention......Page 67 G. Another Way to Record Conception or Building and Testing—The Invention Disclosure......Page 72 H. The Provisional Patent Application—A Substitute for Building and Testing, With Some Disadvantages......Page 74 K. Summary......Page 95 4. Will Your Invention Sell?......Page 97 A. Why Evaluate Your Invention for Salability?......Page 98 D. Take Time to Do a Commercial Feasibility Evaluation......Page 99 E. Check Your Marketability Conclusions Using the Techniques of Consultation and Research......Page 105 F. Now’s the Time to Build and Test It (If Possible)......Page 107 G. The Next Step......Page 108 H. Summary......Page 109 5. Is It Patentable?......Page 111 B. Legal Requirements for a Utility Patent......Page 113 C. Requirement #1: The Statutory Classes......Page 114 D. Requirement #2: Utility......Page 118 E. Requirement #3: Novelty......Page 120 F. Requirement #4: Unobviousness......Page 125 G. The Patentability Flowchart......Page 135 I. Summary......Page 136 6. Search and You May Find......Page 137 A. Why Make a Patentability Search?......Page 139 C. The Two Ways to Make a Patentability Search......Page 141 D. The Quality of a Patent Search Can Vary......Page 142 E. How to Hire a Patent Professional......Page 143 G. Analyzing the Search Report......Page 145 H. Computer Searching......Page 157 I. Do-It-Yourself Searching......Page 161 J. The Scope of Patent Coverage......Page 172 K. Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries......Page 174 M. Searches on the Internet......Page 177 O. NPL (Non-Patent Literature) Searches......Page 184 P. Summary......Page 185 7. What Should I Do Next?......Page 187 B. Try to Sell Invention to Manufacturer Without “Regular” Patent Application (Chart Route 10-12-14-16-18-B)......Page 188 C. File an Application and Sell It to or License a Manufacturer If You See Commercial Potential and Patentability (Chart Route 14-16-18-20-22-A)......Page 190 D. If You Have Commercial Potential Without Patentability, License or Sell Your Invention to a Manufacturer Without Filing (Chart Route 16-24-26-28-30-B)......Page 191 F. Manufacture and Distribute Your Invention Yourself, Keeping It as a Trade Secret (Chart Route 20-32-34-D)......Page 193 H. File Patent Application and Manufacture and Distribute Invention Yourself (Non-Trade-Secretable Invention) (Chart Route 20-32-38-36-E)......Page 194 I. Test Market Before Filing (Chart Route 20-32-38-40-F)......Page 195 J. Summary......Page 196 8. How to Draft the Specification and Initial Drawings......Page 197 B. What’s Contained in a Patent Application......Page 199 D. Do Preliminary Work Before Preparing Your Patent Application......Page 201 F. Write Your Patent Specification to Comply With the Full Disclosure Rules......Page 203 G. Software, Computer-Related Inventions, and Business Methods......Page 206 H. First Prepare Sketches and Name Parts......Page 207 I. Drafting the Specification......Page 211 J. Review Your Specification and Abstract Carefully......Page 223 M. Summary......Page 224 9. Now for the Legalese—The Claims......Page 241 A. What Are Claims?......Page 243 B. The Law Regarding Claims......Page 244 C. Some Sample Claims......Page 245 D. Common Misconceptions Regarding Claims......Page 249 E. One Claim Should Be as Broad as Possible......Page 250 F. The Effect of Prior Art on Your Claim......Page 251 G. Technical Requirements of Claims......Page 252 H. Drafting Your Main (Independent) Claim......Page 258 I. Other Techniques in Claim Writing......Page 260 J. Drafting Dependent Claims......Page 263 K. Drafting Additional Sets of Claims......Page 267 M. Summary......Page 268 10. Finaling and Mailing Your Application......Page 273 A. The Drawing Choices......Page 274 B. PTO Rules for Drawings......Page 275 C. Doing Your Own Drawings......Page 277 E. Finaling Your Specification—For Paper Filing......Page 287 F. Finaling Your Specification for EFS-WebFiling......Page 302 G. File the Information Disclosure Statement Within Three Months......Page 305 I. Petitions to Make Special......Page 311 J. Filing a Design Patent Application......Page 315 K. Summary......Page 318 11. How to Market Your Invention......Page 321 A. Perseverance and Patience Are Essential......Page 323 B. Overview of Alternative Ways to Profit From Your Invention......Page 324 C. Be Ready to Demonstrate a Working Model of Your Invention to Potential Customers......Page 326 D. Finding Prospective Manufacturers/Distributors......Page 327 E. The “NIH” Syndrome......Page 328 F. The Waiver and Precautions in Signing It......Page 329 G. The Best Way to Present Your Invention to a Manufacturer......Page 330 H. Presenting Your Invention by Correspondence......Page 331 J. Manufacturing and/or Distributing the Invention Yourself......Page 332 K. Summary......Page 335 12. Going Abroad......Page 337 A. Introduction......Page 338 D. European Patent Office/Europäisches Patentamt/Office Européen des Brevets (EPO)......Page 339 F. Non-Convention Countries......Page 340 I. Don’t File Abroad Unless Your Invention Has Very Good Prospects in Another Country......Page 343 K. The Ways to File Abroad......Page 344 M. Resources to Assist in Foreign Filing......Page 350 N. Summary......Page 351 13. Getting the PTO to Deliver......Page 353 A. What Happens After Your Patent Application Is Filed......Page 356 B. General Considerations During Patent Prosecution......Page 359 C. A Sample Office Action......Page 369 D. What to Do When You Receive an Office Action......Page 375 E. Format for Amending the Specification and Claims......Page 383 F. Drafting the Remarks......Page 397 G. Drawing Amendments......Page 403 H. Typing and Filing the Amendment......Page 404 I. If Your Application Is Allowable......Page 407 J. If Your First Amendment Doesn’t Result in Allowance......Page 408 K. Interferences......Page 412 M. If Your Application Claims More Than One Invention......Page 413 P. Design Patent Application Prosecution......Page 414 Q. What to Do If You Miss or Want to Extend a PTO Deadline......Page 415 R. Summary......Page 416 14. Your Application Can Have Children......Page 417 A. Available Supplemental Cases......Page 418 B. Continuation Applications......Page 420 C. Request for Continued Examination (RCE)......Page 422 D. Divisional Applications......Page 423 E. Continuation-in-Part and Independent Applications......Page 424 G. Statutory Invention Registration (SIR) and Defensive Publications......Page 426 I. Double Patenting and Terminal Disclaimers......Page 427 J. Summary......Page 428 15. After Your Patent Issues: Use, Maintenance, and Infringement......Page 429 C. Check Your Patent for Errors......Page 431 D. Patent Number Marking......Page 432 F. What Rights Does Your Patent Give You?......Page 433 G. Be Wary of Offers to Provide Information About Your Patent......Page 435 H. Maintenance Fees......Page 436 I. Legal Options If You Discover an Infringement of Your Patent......Page 438 J. What to Do About Patent Infringement......Page 439 K. Product Clearance (Can I Legally Copy or Make That?)......Page 444 L. Citing Prior Art Against Patent Applications and Patents......Page 447 M. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)......Page 448 O. Jury Trials......Page 449 Q. How Patent Rights Can Be Forfeited......Page 450 T. Patent Litigation Financing......Page 451 U. Summary......Page 452 16. Ownership, Assignment, and Licensing of Inventions......Page 453 B. Who Can Apply for a Patent?......Page 454 C. Joint Owners’ Agreement......Page 455 D. Special Issues Faced by the Employed Inventor......Page 456 E. Assignment of Invention and Patent Rights......Page 458 F. Record Your Assignment With the PTO......Page 459 G. Licensing of Inventions—An Overview......Page 461 H. Universal License Agreement......Page 462 I. How Much Should You Get for Your Invention?......Page 465 K. Desiderata for PTO......Page 467 Appendix 1. Abbreviations Used in Patent It Yourself......Page 469 Appendix 2. Resources: Government Publications, Patent Websites, and Books of Use and Interest......Page 471 B. Patent Websites......Page 472 C. Books of Use and Interest......Page 474 D. Books Relating to Self-Improvement......Page 476 Appendix 3. Glossaries......Page 477 A. Glossary of Useful Technical Terms......Page 478 B. Glossary of Legal Terms......Page 484 Appendix 4. Fee Schedule......Page 491 Appendix 5. Mail, Telephone, Fax, and Email Communications With the PTO......Page 499 A. Patent and Trademark Office Mail Addresses......Page 500 B. Patent and Trademark Office Telephones and Faxes......Page 501 Appendix 6. Quick-Reference Timing Chart......Page 503 Appendix 7. Tear-Out Forms......Page 505 Nondisclosure Agreement......Page 507 Invention Disclosure......Page 509 Provisional Patent Application Cover Letter......Page 511 Application Data Sheet—PTO SB/14......Page 513 Positive and Negative Factors Evaluation......Page 517 Positive and Negative Factors Summary......Page 519 Consultant’s Work Agreement......Page 521 Searcher’s Worksheet......Page 523 Drawing Reference Numerals Worksheet......Page 525 Declaration for Utility or Design Patent Application......Page 527 Patent Application Declaration (Supplemental Sheet)......Page 531 Utility Patent Application Transmittal......Page 533 Fee Transmittal......Page 535 Credit Card Payment Form......Page 537 Information Disclosure Statement Cover Letter......Page 541 Information Disclosure Statement by Applicant......Page 543 Nonpublication Request......Page 545 Request Under MPEP 707.07(j)......Page 547 Petition to Make Special......Page 549 Design Patent Application......Page 551 Design Patent Application Transmittal......Page 553 Request for Expedited Examination of a Design Application......Page 555 Amendment......Page 557 Submission of Corrected Drawings......Page 559 Supplemental Declaration......Page 561 Petition for Extension of Time......Page 563 Pre-Appeal Brief Request for Review......Page 565 Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Transmittal......Page 567 Request for Certificate of Correction......Page 569 Certificate of Correction......Page 571 Maintenance Fee Reminder Sheet......Page 573 Submission of Maintenance Fee......Page 575 Joint Applicants—Statement of Respective Contributions......Page 577 Joint Owners’ Agreement......Page 579 Assignment of Invention and Patent Application......Page 581 Recordation Form Cover Sheet......Page 583 Universal License Agreement......Page 585 Appendix 8. Forms Available at the PTO Website......Page 591 Index......Page 593 Related Products......Page 621