With the increasing number of  https://eurekapat.com/patent/procedure.php https://ha-yoo.com/ applications, it is becoming more imperative to establish a robust defense mechanism to protect your IP rights. Having a patent is a great way to secure your business' intellectual property, prevent competitors from copying your inventions, and give you legal recourse should someone violate your IP rights.

Why Should You Patent Your Inventions?

Innovation is essential to the development of any modern society. Without new inventions and new business ideas, our world would be very similar to the one before the industrial revolution. It is, therefore, natural that patent protection should exist to encourage inventors to develop their ideas and bring them to commer ca use.

The problem is that patent protection is expensive and time-consuming to obtain. For that reason, it is no surprise that only large companies can afford to secure their patents and rely heavily on this kind of legal defense. Smaller businesses, which may be the most innovative and creative, are often left out in the cold.

How Can You Secure Your Patents?

If you are thinking about securing your patents, there are a variety of ways to do this. First, you could look into getting a patent partner or attorney to help navigate the legal process. A patent attorney can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to get a patent and ensure that your patent application meets the necessary requirements. A patent partner, whose expertise lies in the field of patents, can also help you to formulate your business' strategy and advise you on patentable ideas and inventions.

One of the more popular methods of securing a patent is to file a provisional application first. A provisional application is like an information vacuum that gives you the opportunity to file a claim for your invention without disclosing your secret recipe for the world to see. When your application is provisionally allowed, you have 60 days to file a nonprovisional application that adds new claims to the patent. This 60 day waiting period is often referred to as the pendency of the patent.

During this time, you can prevent anyone from taking your invention or using it without your consent, including other companies, universities, and governmental agencies. After the pendency period ends, the patent is officially granted to you. Remember, a patent is not automatically granted to the first inventor to file; it must be prosecuted through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) by a licensed patent attorney.

Protecting Your Intellectual Property

Once you have secured your patent, you can begin to enforce your intellectual property rights. You should consult with a patent attorney regarding which legal actions you can take against infringers. You could also consider suing someone for patent infringement or liable for trademark infringement. These are just some of the legal options available to you.

You should take the time to read the USPTO's Manual of Patent Examining to learn about the various steps involved in patenting an invention. This manual provides a clear understanding of the process and is, therefore, an excellent resource for anyone involved in securing their patents.

Trademark Protection

If you are also thinking about securing your businesses' trademarks, you should know that you can register a trademark with the USPTO. When you do this, you are essentially registering your business' name and pattern (s) with the public. While registration of a trademark is not necessarily confident. You can use trademarks to identify your products or services and prevent others from misusing your registered mark.

The steps to registering a trademark are very similar to those for securing a patent, with the exception being that the application for trademark registration is filed with the USPTO directly. Once you have your trademark registered, you can use it in connection with your products or services and seek legal action against anyone that attempts to copy your registered trademark.

In addition to protecting your patents and trademarks, you should also be aware of copyright. A copyright is a form of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship such as poems, novels, plays, films, and music. This type of protection, as the name would suggest, prevents others from copying or reproducing these works without your permission. You should seek legal counsel from a reputable copyright attorney if you are interested in securing your businesses' copyrights.

The Evolving World of Business

It is important to note that patent law in the United States is evolving as fast as technology is evolving. The current maximum allowable patent term is 20 years, which means that your patent will be considered expired after that amount of time. However, there are ways in which you can extend the term of your patent. One of these is through the continuation process, which allows you to apply for a patent extension once your patent has already been granted. This process begins by instructing the USPTO to continue enforcement of your patent. To qualify for a continuation, you must have at least one patent application pending before the USPTO. Remember, in order to continue patenting, your existing patent must contain new and non-obvious aspects that distinguish it from previous patents. If your application is successful, you will receive a patent extension, which will allow you to continue enforcing your existing patent with new inventions. 

Conclusion

Whether you are starting a brand new business or are simply looking to grow your existing one, securing your business' patents, trademarks, and copyrights is a must. Doing so will not only protect your intellectual property, but will also allow you to take advantage of new business opportunities that may present themselves.