Patents have been around for quite some time, as they are used in nearly every form of business. However, the tech world is one of the most patented industries. Companies like Google and Apple have a vast collection of protections in place to assure that their digital technology stays exclusive to them. No matter what kind of patent you are seeking, tech based or not, the process is actually not as confusing as one may expect.
Searching for Patents
Most patents revolve around a genuinely unique idea that has business potential. Thus, you can actually search patent databases before proceeding with your patent, to assure that your blueprint is truly unique.
Before the internet, simply searching for a patent was a bit more difficult and required more leg work. The earliest forms of patents are reported to date back to around 1474.
There are a variety of different services that allow you to find patents, but being a tech blog, let’s stick with Google. Google’s own Patent service is a search engine that is limited to patents only. To get started, jump to the Google Patents homepage and perform a basic search regarding the patent you are seeking.
The Google search results for patents appear similar to normal Google web search results. However, they also feature things like filing date, issue date, and patent number.
Google’s patent database probably doesn’t have every patent out there, but it does include various patents from a wide variety of products and industries. For example, tablet PC, a technology that is not brand new, but new to most people, has approximately 25,000 patents filed in Google.
Now that you know how to search for and explore patents, let’s move on.
Filing and Obtaining a Patent
If you do have a unique business idea that you’d like to protect, then you can file for a patent. The process, of course, requires filling out a few forms. The website uspto.gov, or the United States Patent and Trademark Office site, is a good place to start. Jump to the homepage.
This website basically contains a lot of answers to questions that you may have regarding patents. Mainly, you should review the process for obtaining a patent, described in the following screen shot:
It is quite the process, but it may be worth it if you have a genuinely good businessidea that you believe in. Next, you can jump to the forms page and begin applying for the patent.
You may also want to note, that you can now file for patents online, which may be a preference for some people. Scrolling the page brings you to the file online: link.
Ultimately, filing online will bring you directly to the patent forms:
That’s basically all there is to it. Much of the rest of the process depends on your own preferences and your own plans for the patent. Thank you for stopping by the website for today’s post. If any of our readers have any patents of their own, feel free to leave any additional tips below, to help others who may be considering their own patents.