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You are here: Home / First-Time Inventor?

First-Time Inventor?

Many of my clients are first-time inventors. Some of my clients with a long string of successful patents first came to me when they were on idea #1. It’s an exciting position to be in – if you have a patent attorney who understands your basic situation.

Here in Southern California there’s no shortage of patent attorneys, but many either are inexperienced in law, or have no business experience outside of law, or are part of a large firm where you and your invention are just a number. If you’re a first-time inventor, I look forward to helping you secure your idea and getting to know you along the way.

What’s good about being a first-time inventor?

Believe it or not, a first-time inventor has some advantages that serial inventors often have lost.

  • Your focus is still on the big idea.
  • You’re less likely to overthink the patent process or to look for shortcuts to make it easier or cheaper than it can be.
  • You’re more likely to work with a patent attorney you consider a great fit for THIS specific invention, rather than work with an attorney just because you worked with him or her in the past.
  • You’re still excited, which can help propel you through a long process on your way to a patent that’s protective and profitable.

As a patent attorney, I love working with first-time inventors, though many attorneys seem not to.  They aren’t sure what they’re in for, they may need to put in a little extra work up-front, and they find it difficult to explain concepts and processes that are familiar to them but may be new to a first-time patent seeker.

I find that first-time inventors keep me sharp, because often they bring new situations and questions that even I haven’t seen in my nearly 20 years as a patent attorney.  I wouldn’t be as experienced or as good an attorney if I didn’t work with first-time inventors.  Also, every serial inventor and long-time client has to start with invention #1, so there’s every reason for me to make myself useful sooner rather than later.  If you’re a first-time inventor, not only can I help you, but I also share much of your excitement.

A few things I’ll assume about you:

  • You’re serious about your invention, and have put a lot of work into it, even if you haven’t started the patent process until now.
  • You know more about your invention than I do. Many patent attorneys either don’t take the time to understand your invention, or they try to explain your own idea to you in a condescending way, or both.
  • You’re not looking for the cheapest patent attorney, but you also don’t have an infinite amount of money to throw at patents. Ultimately you want to make more money from your patent than you spend on it.

A few things I will NOT assume about you:

  • That you know legal or patent jargon. We’ll go over any terms and concepts that help us protect your invention.
  • That you’ll automatically know what the next step is in the patent process. Why should you? It IS a confusing process, and it can vary from one invention to the next or from one inventor to the next.
  • That you’re a one-time inventor or a serial inventor. I have no idea where this invention fits into the grand scheme of things, and perhaps you’re not yet sure, either. On the way to securing your patent, I hope to learn more about your long-term plans.

A few things to know about me:

  • I view my success as reliant on yours. If the patent process drains you of money and motivation, you won’t profit all you can from this invention or from future inventions, and you won’t have much use for my services. That’s one reason I’m as protective of your money as you are. The patent process is already expensive enough, without an attorney shaking you upside-down to see how many billable hours fall out.
  • I love what I do, because I’ve always been fascinated by inventions and inventors. As an engineer, I like to know what makes both of them tick. My practice does well, but I got into patent law because it felt like a natural fit, rather than just to make money.
  • I have just enough time to learn about your invention. Of course, most of my schedule is full of existing clients’ projects. But because I’ll need to understand your idea sooner or later, we can probably cover at least the basics of your situation when you first call me.

Some of my resources on this site are especially useful if you are a first-time inventor:

Overview of the Patent Process

8 Tips to Successfully Protect Your Idea

Patent Protection Benefits and Why Every Inventor Should Consider Getting One

Next step

Let’s discuss your invention and goals.  You can call me, James Yang, at (949) 433-0900, or book a consultation here.

“James was amazing! He greeted me in a very professional way, agreed to my questions and requests and helped me immediately. As a hungry inventor, it was so refreshing to be met with such professionalism and eagerness to guide me through some tough questions. I will be using James in the future to work with me on my patents and contracts, for sure. Thank you James!” – Brian Ritchie (see review on Google Maps)

“James Yang loves helping others. He is a great listener and is educated in his field. I had a great experience working with him, I have worked with other patent lawyers and he is by far the best. Find yourself lucky if you have found James to work with!!” – Todd Carpenter (see review on Google Maps)

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