Increasingly on the Internet, invention advertising is taking an odd and seemingly inexplicable turn toward advising independent inventors to not seek patent protection, which is undeniably bad advice that will undoubtedly cause much disappointment and heart break for those who actually follow it.
But why is it that you are starting to see more and more advertisements that say it is unnecessary to get a patent and you should simply forego that step?
The reason you are seeing more and more bad advice aimed at steering inventors away from the patent system is likely because effective September 15, 2008, new rules of practice went into effect at the Patent Office that require a patent attorney or patent agent to be 100% in charge of the creation of any documents filed at the United States Patent Office.
Patents do not always need to be expensive, at least not at the time you chose to file an application. Since 1995 the US Patent Office has allowed for the filing of what are called provisional patent applications.
A provisional patent application is much less expensive to file because there are no required formalitites that need to be observed, other than including at least one drawing of some kind and including a cover sheet, which is a form that the USPTO provides on its website.
Provisional patent applications currently cost $110 for independent inventors and small businesses.
Photo by forwardcom.