How Do I Get a Patent on an Idea for an Invention?
Applying for a patent can be a long and tedious process. There are many websites that encourage individuals to submit their patent ideas online, but the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) warns consumers they are the only entity that can legally patent a invention. According to the USPTO, a patent grants an inventor “the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention in the United States or importing the invention into the United States.”Disclosure and DeterminationTime is of the essence when applying for a patent. You may want to consider first submiting a Disclosure Document before your actual patent application. As stipulated by the USPTO, although the Disclosure Document is not a patent, it will become evidence of the “date of conception of an invention.” The USPTO will keep it for two years (they are not made public). After two years, it will be destroyed. After you have submitted a disclosure and are ready to begin the paten
