Post: #1

Has any one ever filed one before? Was it very difficult to get one approved? I just filed for my first one today. Any recommendations on books or organizations to consult?

Post: #2

(10-27-2014 07:52 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  Has any one ever filed one before? Was it very difficult to get one approved? I just filed for my first one today. Any recommendations on books or organizations to consult?

Are you doing this on your own or do you have institutional backing (company, university, etc)? I'm assuming you mean on your own, and that you filed the provisional patent (ie patent disclosure) not the entire thing yet.

Post: #3

I recommend the book "Patent it Yourself" by David Pressman. It's fairly complete and covers the entire process for an inventor doing it himself. Ideally, you should read the book carefully before preparing a patent application, but if you already filed, the book also covers the details of prosecution.

http://www.amazon.com/Patent-It-Yourself...t+yourself

Post: #4

Filed the provisional patent myself yesterday. Filed the trademark a few minutes ago. I'm using the book "Great Invention Now What?" as a guide (which my local library had in the new books section, oddly enough).
It's a chemical compound which nobody else seems to have figured out, so no drawing was needed (no stereo-isomers involved, for the other chemistry nerds). I did have to submit a recipe which I hope is detailed enough.
The clock is now ticking. I have one year to get the final patent.
It was my first patent ever, so I went out and celebrated by buying a beer. I get the final one next year, I buy a whole case.
My invention does what I want it to do, I'm going to buy something else: a weekend crash pad in the mountains.

Post: #5

(10-27-2014 07:52 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  Has any one ever filed one before? Was it very difficult to get one approved? I just filed for my first one today. Any recommendations on books or organizations to consult?

1) no
2) no
3) meet with a lawyer

Filing the patent requires that you do the prior art research. But assuming you did that, the patent examiners may ask questions. Then you'll just go through the process and get the patent.

The problems crop up when people start seeing you make money.

For example,

In the pharmaceutical industry, drugs take a lot of money and a lot of time to get to market. So the patent holders only have so long to make their costs and profits.

When the patent expires, then the generic manufacturers can jump in.

That's how it's supposed to work.

In the real world, the generic manufacturers are much more predatory and parasitic. As soon as a drug seems to do well in the market place, Generic Pharma attorneys attack the Name Brand's patents in order to invalidate aspects of the patent so that they can start making the drugs. So now Name Brand needs to defend the patent. Big Pharma has the resources to do so.

The other real common example is in software. You create something, and an entity that controls a lot of patents demands payment, claiming that you patent infringes on theirs. Small companies fold when they have to deal with those big lawyer bills. It's called patent trolling.

WIA

Post: #6

(10-28-2014 01:21 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  Filed the provisional patent myself yesterday. Filed the trademark a few minutes ago. ...
It's a chemical compound which nobody else seems to have figured out, so no drawing was needed (no stereo-isomers involved, for the other chemistry nerds).

Good luck.

Post: #7

(10-29-2014 08:47 PM)poutsara Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 01:21 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  Filed the provisional patent myself yesterday. Filed the trademark a few minutes ago. ...
It's a chemical compound which nobody else seems to have figured out, so no drawing was needed (no stereo-isomers involved, for the other chemistry nerds).

Good luck. But how can you claim a composition of matter (chemical compound) without showing at least one structure?

Like I mentioned, I sent them the formulation. It's not a new molecule or anything, just a new way to make something with off-the-shelf products. In essence, I've found a new way to make cake using materials never used to make one before.