Back to: Navigating the Patent System
I recommend reading the entirety of Section 1 to increase your familiarity with the overall patent process. In Sections 2 and 3, you may wish to skip to the headings that are pertinent to you during your application and examination processes. The overall objective of this book is to help you become an informed consumer of patent legal services and learn some of the important legal terms and general aspects of the patent process. With the guidance in this book, my hope is that the information will help you communicate better with your patent attorney so that you will not waste time or money, but rather make the best decisions regarding your patent.
I cannot emphasize enough that this book is not a replacement for competent patent counsel. You should not devise a strategy for protecting your invention based solely on the information or strategies included in this book. Rather, use this book as a guide to devise possible solutions to problems as they arise, address them with your patent attorney, and heed your attorney’s advice. Legal advice requires a patent attorney who will listen to you and apply the law to your situation to come up with recommended next steps customized to your situation. Because the information provided is general, and not a response to a question from an inventor, it is not intended as legal advice.
Once again, congratulations on your decision to secure a patent for your invention.