Making Your New Business a Success

A Few Myths About Filing For A Patent

If you have invented something, it can be well worth the effort to protect your rights to the invention by filing for a patent. For individuals that may benefit from filing for a patent, it can be easy to be discouraged from this process. This is especially true when people believe a set of common misconceptions about the patent filing process.

Myth: Patents Are Only Given For Physical Items

One particularly prevalent idea that people may have about the patent filing process is that this is only suitable for physical items. Yet, this is not the case. It is possible for patents to be obtained for inventions that are not necessarily physical. For example, if you develop a new type of software, you would still be eligible for filing for a patent despite it not being a physical item.

Myth: Patents Apply To International Markets

It is important to note the limitations of any patent that you receive. In particular, you will want to be mindful of the fact that a patent in one country will not be applicable in others. This will require you to file for a patent in each country where you determine it to be the most important to protect your rights to your invention. While it may be tempting to wait to start the process of filing for international patents, you will want to file for this type of protection as quickly as possible in each market where you eventually plan on competing. Otherwise, a competitor may beat you to obtaining the patent, which could be a devastating blow.

Myth: It Is Best To File For A Patent Without Help

The process of filing for a patent can be extremely complicated, and it may be very lengthy. Sadly, mistakes at any point in this process may result in the application for a patent being rejected. While it would be technically possible for a person to file for their own patent, it may not be wise ,as the odds of making a potentially costly error would be very high. A better solution may be to seek the services of a registered patent agent. These individuals will be able to help you through the process of filing for a patent so that you can avoid mistakes that could compromise your ability to obtain a patent. Considering the problems that these professionals will be able to help you avoid, they will be well worth the costs of hiring them.