How to File a Patent 101

HOW TO FILE A

PATENT 101Learn the basics of patent filing

to help you on your way to intellectual property protection

THE PURPOSE OF A PATENT The purpose of a patent is to

protect an individual’s work and ideas.

A patent can then hold value and be sold between entities.

It gives the inventor a say in what happens with his or her invention.

Learn how to file a patent to protect your work in the following slides.

1. INVENTING AN IDEA If you want to file a patent for your invention or

idea, you have to invent something that has never been made or patented before.

You can check to see what patents have previously been filed in the USPTO patent database.

Make sure you can prove that your idea is unique.

2. DECIDING WHAT KIND OF PATENT Different inventions require different

types of patents such as:Utility patent—the most common type,

includes inventions that have a particular function.

Design patents—non-functional parts of articles, like the shape or surface of an item that has not been seen before.

Plant patent—protects newly discovered or invented asexually reproducible plants. 

3.FILL OUT AN APPLICATION Patent applications from the USPTO can

be filled out by hand or electronically. Be sure to include drawings of your

invention, a detailed description of the invention, and any other evidence of the product’s success and unique nature.

4. SUBMIT THE APPLICATION You can submit you application by mail

or fax, or you may enter it on the USPTO website. Applications cannot be submitted by email.

5. WAIT Waiting for patent

approval can take weeks to months.

At this point the best thing to do is keep working to make your invention better.

6. REFILE IF NECESSARY Many patent judges ask inventors to

narrow the terms of their patents to better fit the requirements of a patent in that category.

This is called a non-final rejection. You can restart the process over entirely

if it doesn’t initially get approved.

7. INTERNATIONAL PATENTS If your patent is approved, you may

want to apply for patents in specific countries.

At this time, all foreign patents must be translated into the official language of other countries.

This can be a difficult and expensive process.

MULTILING MultiLing is a patent translation company

with specialized translators who are experienced in correctly translating foreign patents.

MultiLing has offices all over the world to accommodate foreign teams of translators.

For more information on filing international patents, or for a bid request, contact MultiLing.