There are many situations in which an inventor may find themselves pondering whether or not it is worth pursuing patent protection for their idea or invention. It is a good question and one worthy of further exploration. For the purposes of this article, we will be considering typical circumstance of an individual inventor or small entity, as opposed to a corporation or other business entity. Additionally, the term "patent" as used throughout generally refers to a utility and/or design patent as opposed to provisional patent protection, which can be done fairly inexpensively or filed on your own for less than $200.

So, let's get started. When does patenting and idea NOT make sense? Read More...

Tags: Patents, Secrets, Advice, How To, Invention Help, Patent Help

Your idea is NOT patentable if:
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Tags: Patents, Patent Office, Patent Attorney, Invention Help, How To, Help, Making Money With Invention

The single most important stage in developing a new product or invention exists well before the actual product does - in the early analysis of the idea.

Before spending lots of time and money on pursuing your new invention idea, you must consider the following Three P's of Analyzing An Invention's Potential:
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Tags: Secrets, Advice, Help, Invention Help, Invention Success, Making Money With Invention, How To

Inventors are often their own worst enemies... It's very unfortunate, but it's true. When it comes time to bring their inventions and new product ideas to the marketplace or to the attention of the media, far too many independent or individual inventors totally screw it up right off the bat. The worst part is that it doesn't have to be that way!
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You need a very specific answer to a very specific question: Why do you want a patent? If the answer is "...so I'll be protected..." you still have some very important homework to do here on this site and you are clearly not ready for that step yet. This should not be considered a put-down. Before you plop down potentially thousands of dollars, you should know what you are paying for, right? Right...
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Tags: Advice, Help, Invention Help, Secrets, Patents, Patent Attorney, Patent Office

There is so much confusion about what patents are, how patents work, what type of patent to apply for, how much patents cost, what patents protect and who enforces the intellectual property (IP) rights a patent may convey. Read More...

Tags: How To, Invention Help, Advice

On a basic level, nearly all inventors want to make money with their invention.

That is not to say that many inventors are not primarily motivated by their desire to help people, and improve the world at large with their invention, because that is indisputably so. However, it is to say that many people who are so inclined can often have irrational hang-ups and baggage about the business world and making money. Read More...

Tags: Making Money With Invention, Invention Success, Advice, Secrets

One of the most significant things any successful inventor must understand is that, above all else, the primary objective with their invention is profitable sales of product, hopefully on a large scale. Obviously, this type of thinking goes well beyond merely understanding the proposed workings of their new invention. Read More...

Tags: Invention Success, Prototypes, Manufacturer

1) You need a patent in order to sell your product.

Now, this one is just patently untrue. In fact, the majority of products sold are not patented. To be patentable, an invention or product must be unique, non-obvious to those skilled in the art, and useful.
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1) The first thing an inventor must do is file for a patent on their idea before someone else does it first.
Ignoring the oversimplification of simply “patenting” an idea, as if it were so easy, this line of reasoning is nonsense for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being, once patented, your invention becomes publicly available to be scrutinized, reverse engineered and designed around – allowing the possibility of beating you to market, if you’re not prepared to go to market before they are.
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Tags: Advice, Help, How To, Invention Success, Manufacturer, Myths, Prototypes, Secrets

Google's Patent Search Engine Reviewed

Google has quietly released into public beta a new patent search engine: Google Patents.
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Tags: How To, Google, Invention Help, Secrets