Got a Bright Idea?
Got a Bright Idea?
Give yourself a pat on the back. Go ahead…right now…that’s it. You know you’ve had a great idea before…your adrenaline is pumping, you’re excited, your mind is racing on where to start…but what do you do next? Well, one thing’s for sure…if you want to the world to know that bright idea was yours one day, then you better think about applying for a patent.
A patent is your set of rights for your idea, given to you by the state. When I say state, I am referring to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. It sounds fancy but as you can guess, this group decides whether your idea should be allowed protection or not. While the expiration date on your protected idea may vary (14-20 years), a patent gives you the assurance that no one can steal or sell your bright idea. It’s the strongest type of protection that exists for your idea. Sounds scary, huh? Well, it’s not. Applying for a patent is not only easy but you can do it all yourself, without an attorney is you wish. The hard part of it? Coming up with an idea that will pass the patent pending process to begin with!
There are four basic requirements for a patent. So once you have your brilliant idea, consider these questions to test the value of it to the public…
Is your idea a process or a method, a machine, a manufacture, a composition or is it an entirely new use?
Is your idea useful? Your idea needs to become in demand once the public is aware. Consider if your idea could be sold at a profit…this proves its usefulness.
Is your idea novel or is it comprised of any other previous ideas or inventions? You can search online in patent history databases to ensure this (www.spi.org searches 5 million patents online for you in just minutes!)
Is your idea obvious? If your idea is obvious and an ordinary person could come up with the same invention, it’s time to keep thinking. You want your idea or invention to give a new answer to a problem.
If you’ve answered all the questions and truly feel your idea meets all the requirements, then you’re ready to file some paperwork to get the ball rolling. There is an application and a fee, an issuance and a fee, and then a maintenance fee. Initial filing fees will cost anywhere from $200 to $1,000 – you can go to www.uspto.gov for up to date fees. The paperwork is minimal and the fees, remember, are going towards protecting your idea.
This patent process can take up to four years but in the meantime, you can claim “patent pending” status for your invention. This means you have filed all the paperwork and paid the fees and are awaiting approval on your invention. An additional form, a provisional patent application, is required to be able to claim this status. This form is worth is to say to your competitors and the rest of the world: here I come with my answers! In essence, this patent process is adding value to your idea, your venture.
Patents provide protection for your own ideas and help create competition, demand, and innovation from others for new ideas. Mark Twain once said , “A country without a patent office and good patent laws is just a crab and can't travel any way but sideways and backwards.”* Now that’s a great idea!
Carrie House is a marketing maven with ties to numerous non-profits in the metro-Atlanta area. Her time is devoted to helping non-profits become the leader in their industry with effective marketing strategies. She is currently enrolled in the Master's Degree in Entrepreneurship Program at Western Carolina University. She hopes the knowledge she gains in this esteemed program will better prepare her run her own specialized animal care facility, assist her continuing her efforts in helping smaller non-profits become more successful and lead her down the path of innovation at the American Red Cross as she handles their life-saving marketing strategies. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permission as long as this article in its entirety, author's information, and any links remain intact.
Copyright 2008 by Carrie Catherine House.
*Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889)
A thirty-something business woman gives you the low-down on the highs and lows of doing business.
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