How to turn your idea into a patentable invention?

We explained many times how important is to express your idea in a tangible form in order to be protected by intellectual property rights. This time we want to make sure you know how to turn your idea into a more specific intellectual property value: a patent.

In order to obtain the most of your invention, these steps should be followed. Also, keep in mind that you should share your idea only with the most trustworthy people. It is always tempting to share your invention ideas with others, but that proves often to be not the best course of action.

  1. Write your invention details

Writing your invention details in an inventor’s journal with numbered and irremovable pages will greatly help you if someone challenges your patent in a court of justice. We recommend you to get your documentation signed by a witness or two, or to go for a notary public protocol in order to establish the content and date of your invention.

Keep in mind that it is important to write down everything in detail including the description, purpose, benefits and drawbacks of your invention. You also need to include details of any prototypes you have made or tests you have taken and their results. It is imperative to put a date on top of every page for each entry.

  1. Research

You have a brilliant idea. What can you do to develop it? You have to dedicate your time to due-diligence and research before even thinking of inventing something useful for public. It is vital to spend as much time as possible researching your idea especially if you want to patent it in the long run.

This step is important in order to try to determine if you are infringing on someone else’s idea of a product or not, before actually starting working on your own. You should take into account that you must identify and thoroughly research your target audience because if you invent something and get a patent for it, you will most probably want to sell it.

  1. Develop a Prototype (or at least a sketch of it)

A prototype is the first ever product you create based on your research and documentation. It’s actually a demonstration of the design, functions and advantages of your invention to potential licensees and buyers. Of course, it can be expensive to develop it on your own, so you can draw or sketch it first. This is the first step to take even when you want to develop the prototype on your own.

  1. File for a patent

When you completed all of the above, you are ready to begin the process of filing for a patent. A patent attorney or lawyer will have a good look at your application and identify any errors and flaws which you might have missed. The attorney will write a strong patent, preventing your competitors from having any chance to find a loophole in your application. In fact, it is necessary to hire a patent attorney if you want to protect your product and avoid any legal problem in future.

After filing for a patent, you can start to market your invention. You need to have due-diligence and patience to make most of your invention.

Contact our experienced lawyers in order to get the professional advice and help you need when patenting your inventions and stay tuned for all the news to come in related to patents.