The Patent Application Process

There are several steps to obtaining a patent through the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

You have a great idea and want to make money from it. Getting a patent can help you do that. The first step in getting a patent for your invention (or determining if you even qualify for one) is finding out if someone else already has a patent for your idea. If your invention is already patented, then you are out of luck. The quickest and easiest way to find out is to do an online patent search.

Examples of claims for some common inventions and processes.

A breakdown on the USPTO qualifications for small and micro entities.

Whether you want to hire a lawyer depends on several factors, including the complexity of the invention, the possibility that your patent will be challenged, and the time that you have to commit to the sometimes-complex registration process.

Even after a patent is issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, you can still seek certain amendments.