Your ideas can create stories full of success. When you put time and effort into an idea, you want to ensure the protection of your intellectual property. To prevent others from using your ideas, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) offers the option to issue a patent.
Contact patent lawyers to help you obtain full rights over your patent. Cases that involve patent litigation may require an attorney’s legal guidance. If you want to avoid somebody else using your designs and ideas, you can protect your intellectual property by securing patent rights.
Obtaining patent rights is a complex process that requires careful documentation and organization. If you are ready to protect your intellectual property, the following points will be helpful.
Why are Patents Useful?
Obtaining patent rights will prevent other entities from copying, making, selling, or using your unique ideas. Your creation must be innovative and valuable to be eligible for a patent. Sometimes, an invention might not be patentable, such as theoretical formulas or surgical methods. On the other end of the spectrum, creative content tends to fall under copyright protection rather than a patent.
Patents offer you the possibility to protect your hard work from being used by others. By protecting your work, you can enjoy the profits without worrying that somebody else is using your idea. If you choose to seek a lawyer’s opinion, you can cover any potential future legal issue, ultimately securing your intellectual property.
Types of Patent Rights
You can benefit from three types of patents: utility, design, and plant. Depending on which category your inventions belong to, you have a variety of options to secure the protection of your intellectual property.
Utility Patents
You need a utility patent if your invention is useful to certain processes, manufacturing, or machines. The invention must be practical, operational, and provide visible benefits. You can obtain a patent for tools, software, chemical composition, and even medical equipment. Furthermore, you can protect your unique business method with patent rights. A utility patent will protect your invention for 20 years from the application filing.
Design Patents
When you create something one-of-a-kind, obtaining a design patent can secure you 15-year protection. Innovative and original ornamental designs must be inseparable from the object and provide ornamentation only on its surface. The object will still require a utility patent to provide functionality.
Plant Patents
If you discover a new type of plant, you can benefit from 20 years of protection when applying for patent rights. There are certain eligibility criteria your invention must meet before you can obtain patent rights. The plant must not be from an uncultivated state, must be asexually reproduced, and not be a tuber-propagated plant.
Seeking Legal Counsel
You must apply for patent rights to fully benefit from your revolutionary ideas and inventions. The process can be exhausting, especially when you are busy running a successful business. Hiring a seasoned attorney authorized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office will help you secure the rights over your inventions while focusing on your work.
