Smart Marketing For Inventors Chapter 2 - Turning your invention into a marketable product.
In this second article of our three-part series, we talk about how to turn your invention into a marketable product. For example, you may need to get a patent and file for trademarks. There are so many questions that come up when turning an invention into a product that it is always easiest to consult an attorney who specializes in intellectual property law which will be someone who assists inventors with filing patents or trademarks.
We'll give some ideas for turning your invention into a marketable product in this article, but not all of them will be applicable to every single situation. We give you tips throughout the article, which should help you decide if you need to consult an attorney or if there's a resource that can help you.
First of all, if you haven't already turned your invention into a marketable product and patented it, then don't worry! We're going to give some tips on doing so in this article. But let's start with the topic of patenting your product. If the idea is commercially viable, patenting it may be necessary for turning it into a marketable product.
Patenting an invention is the ultimate goal of inventors in the United States. You don't have to patent your product, or even file a patent application on your product, to get it into the marketplace. But you might consider it because patents are valuable assets that protect your intellectual property rights.
How do you patent an idea? Here are some tips: 1) Write down every possible variation of your invention that might turn it into a marketable product. If you've already turned your invention into something tangible (e.g., a computer or electrical component), collect all of the drawings, schematics, and diagrams necessary to explain how it works. These drawings and diagrams are called "claims" in a patent application. Keep all of these documents in some sort of organized file.
2) Prepare an outline or brief description of your invention that concisely and briefly explains how it works (claims). We'll talk more about this process later on, but the gist is that you should write the claims as precisely and clearly as possible so that the reader will understand them easily. If you've developed something tangible, keep all of your working drawings, diagrams and photographs (schematics) separate from your written description or claim. You don't want to accidentally confuse how it works with how it's described in the patent application.
3) Prepare drawings and other diagrams that show how your invention is intended to work. These are called "specifications" in a patent application. Drawings and schematics are especially important if your invention involves some type of manufacturing process or engineering.
4) Write down any instructions or suggestions you may have on how to make your invention work, including the materials you need to make it. We'll review how to prepare these types of descriptions in another article later. 5) Be very careful at this point to ensure that the claims clearly and distinctly describe the elements of your invention so that no other person can be confused into creating a product like yours (i.e., making something like yours using his own materials).
6) Do not start making and marketing your invention until you've filed a patent application. Also, don't provide technical information in a press release or trade show presentation until you have filed a U.S. patent application and received your first grant.
7) During the pendency of your patent application, avoid any business activities that may interfere with its processing (e.g., storing inventory). You can file for an extension of time to finish the patenting process (a "patent term adjustment") by filing a request with the USPTO within six months of a particular due date. To learn more, read the USPTO website .
8) If you haven't already done so, you should make a prototype of your invention and have it examined by a patent agent or attorney.
9) You may want to file for international patent protection as well, since international filings are not counted against U.S. filing deadlines for up to 18 months! Check out our article on how to patent an idea internationally .
10) Once you've filed a patent application, make sure you can describe your invention with sufficient detail in its claims so that any reader would be able to understand how it works and how to reproduce it. Make sure that you've properly described the claims with sufficient technical detail. This is called "manifestation" of your patent application before you file to get a filing date. The USPTO examines the clarity and proper expression of your patent claims (i.e., the way you describe how your invention works), which can affect whether or not it will be approved.
11) If you decide to market your product after patenting it, then you should make sure you protect yourself against infringement by buying a U.S. trademark on your product in addition to getting a U.S. patent on it. We'll talk more about trademarks in another article.
12) If your product will be sold or used in the U.S., make sure that you also buy a trademark on your product with the Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). You can learn more about trademarks here .
13) If you want to license your invention for sale, then definitely talk with an attorney who specializes in licensing. Licensing is a way of selling rights to use your intellectual property (i.e., selling a license to manufacture and/or sell your invention). We'll talk more about this topic in another article on how to patent an idea .
14) If you have any questions about patenting, filing a patent application, or marketing your product, please feel free to contact Quintus Crenshaw , P.C . via our contact page. We will be happy to answer your questions.
We'll be back soon with more informative articles on inventing and patenting ideas for products you want to market. In the meantime, we hope you enjoyed this article on how to patent an idea !
For more information about trademarks, please feel free to browse our blog here . For more information about international trademarked products, please visit our International Trademark Trademark & Service mark Blog here .
About the author: Quintus Crenshaw is a patent attorney and inventor, who has filed hundreds of patent applications for clients worldwide in various industries (e.g., computer software, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering). He has also worked with many clients to market their products without getting sued for patent infringement. If you have any questions about how to patent an idea or need a product inventor to help you create a marketable invention, please contact Mr. Crenshaw via our contact page or email him at quintus@crenshawpatentattorney.com .
Conclusion:
If you are looking forward to make your own product, the above article will be very helpful. It will guide you through the process of getting a patent, which is the key that you need in order to make your dreams come true. We wish this article will guide you in making your innovative product and also give valuable knowledge to those who want to know more about patenting their invention. Inventing is a truly wonderful experience and it can be an enjoyable learning journey for everyone who wants to do so!
We hope that you have found this post interesting and informative.