Nolo's Patents for Beginners

by Attorney David Pressman & Attorney Richard Stim

Pages: 224

eBook: (PDF 3.0 MB)

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Summary

A clear and simple guide to the entire patent process.

Do you toil away in an office, garage or basement lab in the hopes of bringing a new widget to life? What will you do when it's alive and kicking?

Here's the primer every first-time inventor needs. Packed with detailed information and concise explanations, Nolo's Patents for Beginners defines what a patent is and what it can do for you. Step by step, it explains how to:

use basic patent principles
document an invention
conduct a patent search
acquire patent rights
"read" an application
determine patent ownership
analyze disputes
find patent information
interpret international patent law
and much more

Nolo's Patents for Beginners provides sample forms and letters, resources and glossary of terms. The 5th edition is completely updated and revised to cover all changes in patent law and regulations.

Press Reviews

"Will help minimize legal fees by preparing you to do what you can for yourself..."
Dallas Morning News

"An impressive and reader friendly compendium of information and instruction... the ideal introduction to the patenting process."
Bookwatch

I. Introduction

A. Organization of Text
B. Icons Used in This Book

1. Patents and Intellectual Property Law

A. What Is a Patent?
B. The Three Types of Patents
C. Patent Rights
D. The Requirements for Obtaining a Patent
E. How Long Do Patent Rights Last?
F. How Patent Rights Can Be Lost
G. Intellectual Property-The Big Picture
H. Trademarks
I. Copyright
J. Trade Secrets
K. Unfair Competition

2. Qualifying for a Patent

A. Legal Requirements for a Utility Patent
B. Statutory Classes
C. Utility
D. Novelty and Prior Art
E. Nonobviousness
F. Legal Requirements for a Design Patent
G. Legal Requirements for a Plant Patent

3. Invention Documentation

A. The Importance of Documentation
B. Lab Notebook
C. Invention Disclosure
D. Documenting Conception: Disclosure Document Program (DDP)
E. Documenting Reduction to Practice: Provisional Patent Application
F. Trade Secret Considerations

4. Patent Searching

A. Principles of Patent Searching
B. Hiring a Patent Searcher
C. Do It Yourself Searching

5. Reading and Writing Patents

A. Elements of a Patent
B. Invention and Inventor Data
C. Specification
D. Claims
E. Abstract
F. Drawings
G. Preparation of a Patent Application

6. Patent Prosecution and the PTO

A. Patent Prosecution: The Road to Allowance
B. Responding to a Final Office Action
C. Additional Application Issues
D. Design Patent Prosecution

7. Patent Ownership

A. The Inventor Is Initial Owner of Patent Rights
B. Employee Inventions
C. Joint Owners

8. Patent Infringement

A. What Is Patent Infringement?
B. Who Can Sue, Who Can Be Sued?
C. Stopping Patent Infringement
D. Defenses to Patent Infringement
E. Ending Disputes Without a Lawsuit

9. International Patent Law

A. Introduction to Foreign Patent Treaties and Laws
B. Putting It Together: The Most Common Route for U.S. Inventors Seeking Foreign Patent Coverage
C. The Paris Convention and the One-Year Foreign Filing Rule
D. The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
E. European Patent Office (EPO)
F. Locating Foreign Patent Agents

10. Help Beyond This Book