INVENTORS' CORNER
Everyone
tells you that you have to apply yourself and get things done. Now
is the chance.
This
is your first step to obtaining a patent for your idea —
getting it researched by people who know the patent industry.
Forget
everything you have heard on the radio or television. Forget what
your friends have told you. This is where you need to be.
Collectively, we at  have
been performing patent searches for inventors for nearly 40 years.
We know what to look for and we know where to look.
We
are a service company. We work for private inventors, law firms, and
manufacturing companies throughout the United States, Canada, and
even as far east as Japan. Why us? Because we get the job done right
the first time.
When
you submit your idea to us, please be aware that we are not
marketers. We do not judge whether or not your idea is patentable, we
are not patent attorneys or patent agents, nor are we United States
patent examiners. Only the patent examiners working for the U.S.
Patent Office have the power to determine the validity of your idea
and issue a patent for your invention. The patent examiners almost
always have the final word.
So
why do you need us?
You
don't...really. You are permitted (by law) to take your idea, write
a patent application and send it to the United States Patent &
Trademark Office without the benefit of a search or the assistance of
a patent agent/attorney. We do not recommend this. Would you want to
pay all those filing fees just to find out that you re-created the
light bulb?
We
feel the first logical step to any possibility of a patent is to
perform a patentability search. We take your ideas, your drawings,
and your concepts and determine the best places to search within the
archives of the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).
We also consult with patent examiners and research foreign art if appropriate.
How
long does it take? How much will it cost? What do I get?
A
patentability search takes about two weeks to complete. The cost is
generally $500.00 per search; patent copies are $4.00 each. You will
receive a report detailing the patents that we feel are relevant to
your invention. The report will indicate where we searched within the
USPTO. In addition, you will receive a complete copy of each U.S.
Patent referenced as well as any other materials we feel should be
brought to your attention.
What
about just doing a key word search?
We
do not recommend this. While key word searches are cheap and fast,
they do not assure you that you have searched all the records. For
example, let's say that you discovered a new television device. If
you did a key word search you might just use the words
"T.V." and "Television." Let's also say that you
did not find anything, and you feel your idea is unique. Obviously,
you would send in your application to the USPTO, and they take your
money and reject your application. Why? Because the USPTO patent
examiner found a number of patents having to do with "Cathode -
Ray - Tube" technology. That is a fancy way of saying
"T.V." Thus, we feel it is safer to search the way the
patent examiners search--by the way the item or idea works, not by
what people call it. All the information in the Patent Office is
organized by class and subclass. So no matter what the inventor calls
his idea, all similar ideas are going to be in the same class/subclass.
Where
do you go from here?
You
may contact us by fax,
phone, or email. Submit
your idea to us, and we will take it from there. We do require a
deposit of $550.00 before proceeding [ VISA/MC ]. The $550.00
will cover the cost of the search plus any patent copies, provided
the search is of a standard complexity. If we feel it is outside the $550.00
threshold, we will contact you first before proceeding. If the $550.00
deposit is in excess of the search costs, the difference will be
returned to you promptly.
What
if I have a general question, who do I talk to?
Call
and ask to speak with either Chris
Murphy
or Fred
Malek
during regular business hours. You may call us toll-free at
800-298-4624 between the hours of 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST. |
