Patent

Having a patent will not in and of itself make you rich.Many inventors often think that all they need to do is come up with an idea, file a patent application, and companies will be banging on their door offering millions of dollars for the idea. Unfortunately, it doesn't work this way.

What is a Patent? Patents are a right granted to an inventor that allows them to exclude all others from making, using, or selling their invention for 20 years. In the U.S. the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reviews and approves patent applications, which provide protection against others stealing their idea.

Under U.S. Code Title 35, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues three different types of patents: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents.

There are three types of patents: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. Each type of patent has its own eligibility requirements and protects a specific type of invention or discovery; however, it's possible for one invention or discovery to potentially have more than one type of patent available for it.

The theory behind the poor man's patent is that, by describing your invention in writing and mailing that documentation to yourself in a sealed envelope via certified mail (or other proof-of-delivery mail), the sealed envelope and its contents could be used against others to establish the date that the invention was

In general terms, a "utility patent" protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a "design patent" protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171).Both design and utility patents may be obtained on an article if invention resides both in its utility and ornamental appearance.

Utility patent. This is what most people think of when they think about a patent. Provisional patent. Design patent. Plant patent.

Utility patent. This is what most people think of when they think about a patent. Provisional patent. Design patent. Plant patent.