Checking Credentials Before Hiring Anyone to Help You Patent Your Invention

Many businesses make more than a decent living helping inventors just like you make money from their inventions. From filing a patent to licensing and marketing your invention, someone is around every corner offering assistance.

Unfortunately, not all of this help is the kind you want. There are companies out there who make a living off exploiting inventors. It's important not to get caught up in any of these scams. What you need is a professional who has experience and is licensed to help you patent your invention. You really need either a patent attorney or a patent agent.

Both patent agents and attorneys are registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. No one else is. Please take note of that. No one else may legally help you fill out the paperwork associated with filing for your patent. And you definitely don't want anyone else to help you for this aspect of your invention journey.

Remember, you want someone registered by the USPTO to help you file your patent. Don't even think about speaking to someone else, even if they claim they will outsource the writing of your application to a patent attorney or agent. The problem is, you need to be in direct communication with the individual helping you to file your patent. Don't let anyone be your middleman. Gaining a patent is not an assembly line process. Your invention has completely different features than anything else out there. So you need to be able to directly communicate the novel features of your invention with the attorney or agent.

While you can work over the phone, it usually makes the most sense to meet face to face with the attorney or agent you choose. Therefore, it is best to find one not too far from where you are located. Although it can be done, a long distance relationship will probably only strain the process.

The best way to select a patent practitioner (patent agent or patent attorney) near you is through word of mouth. You may want to join a local inventors club. You can also search through the USPTO's list of registered patent practitioners or even just use their database to check your potential patent practitioner's credentials.

An individual listed on the USPTO's site will be registered to practice patent law. They must also meet the ethical requirements and can be disbarred for complaints. Please check that the patent practitioner you are considering is listed on this site before using them.