U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
The traditional “Poor Man's Patent” has always been a myth. In fact, this whole system was never valid anyway. The idea behind the patent was that the first person to invent something is eligible for a patent. The truth is that it's time-consuming and expensive to pursue a patent.
Utility patent application: may be filed by anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.
The five primary requirements for patentability are: (1) patentable subject matter; (2) utility; (3) novelty; (4) non-obviousness; and (5) enablement. Like trademarks, patents are territorial, meaning they are enforceable in a specific geographic area.
The Poor Man's Patent Is Obsolete Being the first to invent will no longer save you is someone else filed first. So even if you did write out the idea for your invention and mailed it to yourself, that date would not matter.
Format of a Patent Application The Specification. The Title. The Description. The Claims. The Drawings. The Abstract. Sample Specifications. Minimum Requirements for a Filing Date.
Utility patent application: may be filed by anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.
One can go to the USPTO official website and file a patent online. Publication: The Patent Office publishes the application on their official website after some time. Then, the application is ready to enter for the examination stage. Prosecution: During examination, the examiner may ask for a few clarifications.