Patents - Resource Center

	home » patents, copyright & art
	PATENTS

Save 40% or more on all estate planning products. Sale ends June 1st.

Getting a Patent

Checklist: Before You Patent

Checklist: Questions to Consider Before Licensing

Research: Federal Law

Nolo Podcasts

Email to a Friend

Let The Company Corporation® form your Corporation or LLC, quickly and easily. Packages starting as low as $149 (plus state fees).

How to Get a Patent On Your Own

Thousands of inventors have successfully filed patents on their own, without the assistance of a lawyer. To obtain a patent, you must ensure that your invention qualifies for a patent and then be able to describe it in your application. By taking the proper steps -- none of which requires "legal" skills -- you can obtain a patent.

> more

Provisional Patent Applications: Quickest Way to "Patent Pending"
Filing a provisional patent application guards against rip-offs while buying time to file a regular patent application.

Making Your Own Patent Drawings
You can prepare your own patent drawings -- here's how.

Profiting From Your Patent FAQ
Once you have a patent, it's up to you to make it profitable by licensing it or selling it.

one-year rule

The rule that requires a patent application to be filed within one year of the following: any public use of the invention by the inventor, a sale of the invention, an offer to sell the invention, or any description of the invention by the inventor in a published document. Failure to file a patent application within this one-year period results in the invention's passing into the public domain, where it is no longer eligible for a patent.

More Definitions

Find an Intellectual Property Lawyer - Patent, Copyright, Trademark

Patent It Yourself

Patent Pending Now!

Patent Pending in 24 Hours




Legal Updates to Nolo Products Changes in Patent Procedures, Mail Stops, and PPA Requirements Changes in Patent Law and Procedure (Patent It Yourself, 11th Edition)