Patents may be granted for inventions in any field of technology, from an everyday kitchen utensil to a nanotechnology chip. An invention can be a product – such as a chemical compound, or a process, for example – a process for producing a specific chemical compound.
The poor man's patent has become outdated as a result of the change from the “first-to-invent” to the “first-to-file” system. It's not enough to have a good idea. The key is the date of filing, which must be recorded in a patent at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Yes, you can even patent an already existing product on the basis of a “new use.” If you can develop a completely new and non-obvious way of using an existing product that significantly differs from its current usage, you may be able to obtain a patent.
In the United States, there are three types of patents, all governed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): utility, design, and plant. Chemical patents can protect chemical compounds, compositions of matter, methods of making the chemical compound or composition, and methods of use.
These guidelines assert that a process, including a process for doing business, must produce a concrete, useful and tangible result in order to be patentable.
5 Important Steps To Draft And File A Patent Texas Document Your Invention. First and foremost, clearly document your invention to file a patent Texas. Choose Your Type Of Protection. Conduct A Through Patent Search. Evaluate Drafting And Filing Costs. Prepare Your Application.
Process patents should still be allowed because their impact on scientific discovery and invention is more limited. If someone patents a process for making a light bulb, other people could still develop different processes for making light bulbs without infringing the patent.
Specific criteria must be met to obtain a patent for a business process. The process must be novel, non-obvious and have a clear, practical application. Additionally, it must be described with sufficient detail to the point that anyone with general knowledge of the industry can comprehend how it works.
What can be patented? An invention relating either to a product or process that is new, involving an inventive step and capable of industrial application can be patented. However, it must not fall into the categories of inventions that are non- patentable under sections 3 and 4 of the Act.