Importance of Getting “Patent Pending”
First, a patent pending (applied for and waiting for approval), consists of the patenting agent or attorney first doing a “patent search” to see if inventions of the same concept or design have already had patents applied for them.
Also, keep in mind that once you have a patent pending, this can be noted in print on your product-invention’s packaging and protects you while the patenting process is being completed.
Even if for some reason a patent is later denied, this is not usually determined for many months and gives an inventor a protected jump on any competition that might try to crop up in the mean time.
Second, some companies and also retail outlets, who look at new products for consideration to market them actually require that they have a patent pending status or they will not review them!
These are some of the major reasons why getting a patent pending is so important but applying for a patent also tells companies you may submit your invention to, that you have full commitment and belief in your invention.
The way some of these companies may look at this is that if you don’t have enough belief in your invention to apply for a patent, why should they?
Photo by USPTO.
Kenneth Bittner on September 27th, 2007 7:04 am
Very valid point.
HR on September 27th, 2007 9:47 am
patents are a virus and should be vanished. The world would be much better without them. Sure, some individuals wouldn’t be as rich, but the world as a whole would be better. Why aren’t electric cars more common (despite the success of the EV1 in 1996)? Because of all the patents that GM holds and avoids other people to work on it. And remember, just because someone had an idea and patented it, doesn’t make it unique. It is far too common that many people have the same ideas at the same time in different places. By letting one of them patent it, you are forbidding the rest to use their (own) ideas.
crap
Little Guy Network on April 1st, 2008 2:10 pm
Good Point!
Adam Humphreys on May 22nd, 2008 4:00 am
Hey, I just wanted to thank you for this great Article.
Thanks
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