The following titles provide guidance to inventors looking to protect their ideas. These books are written by lawyers for non-lawyers; legalese is kept to a minimum.
Nolo's Patents for Beginners by Patents are explained in this clear guide to every step of the patenting process. Do you have a great idea for a product? Do you toil away in an office, garage or basement lab day by day 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'sPatents 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 Nolo'sPatents for Beginners provides sample forms and letters, resources and a glossary of terms. This edition is completely revised to cover all changes in patent case law and updated regulations for inventors applying for a patent.
Patent Searching Made Easy by In the past, if you wanted to assess the novelty of an idea, you had to wade through the patent database at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in Virginia -- or hire a lawyer to do a patent search for $500 and up. The cost and inconvenience of these searches often meant that good ideas were left to rot on the vine. Patent Searching Made Easy shows you how do patent searches yourself, on the Internet, at little or no cost. Plus, you'll learn how to: . verify the patent status of an idea . prepare for online searches with the right hardware, software and computer skills . access online patent searching resources . narrow online searches with keywords and Boolean logic . perform database searches at Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRC) . do prior art searches at PTRC. search fee-based patent databases on the Internet . search international patent offices . do advanced searches at the PTO and PTRCWritten for both inventors and business owners interested in expanding their product line through the license, distribution or manufacture of other people's ideas, Patent Searching Made Easy is the easiest way for you to determine the answer to that all-important question, ""Am I the first?"" A physicist, engineer, and patent searching expert, author David Hitchcock gives you the vocabulary, instructions and strategies you need to search for a patent quickly and easily. He explains how the PTO classifies different types of inventions, so that you can assign your idea to the right class, compare it to related ideas and then determine if it's novel enough to qualify for a patent.
Patent It Yourself by
Patent It Yourself by Attorney David Pressman and updater Thomas Tuytschaevers takes you through the entire patent process, providing scrupulously updated information and clear instructions to help you: determine if you can patent your invention understand patent law evaluate the commercial potential of your idea perform your own patent search file a provisional patent application prepare a formal patent application respond to patent examiners amend an application enforce and maintain your patent market and license your invention Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest changes in intellectual property law, this edition provides the latest U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rules and forms. It includes up-to-date discussions of the new "first to file" rule, which has to revolutionized patent law.
How to Make Patent Drawings by Save on patent drafting by doing it yourself! If you're trying to patent your invention, you know need a drawing to complete your USPTOapplication. Professional patent drafters charge per sheet for their patent drawing services and it can cost you hundreds of dollars. But with How to Make Patent Drawings you'll be able to complete this crucial step and create a patent drawing that complies with the strict rules of the USPTO. This book is a good companion for Patent It Yourself. The 7th edition is completely updated to reflect recent changes to patent law and the newest advances in technical drawing. It includes all necessary forms with step-by-step instructions.
Profit from Your Idea by
Profit from Your Idea by Everything you need to license your invention, You've got a great idea and are ready to strike it rich. But finding a company you can trust, hashing out a fair licensing deal, then watching your idea hit the marketplace-well, you'll need help. Turn to Profit From Your Idea. It will help you negotiate and draft a licensing agreement that will protect your interests. In the end, you'll know all about: the licensing process, your intellectual property rights, ownership issues for inventor-employees, working with licensing agents, protecting confidential information, finding potential licensees, licensing overseas, showing your invention safely, negotiating your agreement, reviewing changes to an agreement, The 8th edition is completely updated with current licensing law and patent rules, and covers the latest Supreme Court decisions. This book comes with a website, With this book you get access to a unique web page on nolo.com where you can: Instantly in this book, Stay current with legal updates to this book, Access podcasts and blogs, And in nolo.com's Patent, Copyright & Trademark center you'll find even more help from the experts at Nolo: Hundreds of valuable articles and FAQs, More useful Segal forms, In-depth profiles of intellectual property lawyers in your area, Nolois passionate about making the law accessible to everyone. Our high-quality books, software, legal forms, and online lawyer directory have helped millions of people find answers to their everyday legal and business questions. Book jacket.
First to File: Patents for Today's Scientist and Engineer by Google Prior Art Finder
Simultaneously search Google Patents, Google Scholar, and Google Books to locate existing documentation of inventions. Searches within United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), as well as the materials within Google Scholar and Google Books.
USPTO Patent Search Database
Scopus (UNLV Access Only)
1960-
Scopus is an index to peer-reviewed scientific, medical, technical, and social science literature.
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
This commercial website provides access to thousands of products and services. The database is searchable by product or services type, geographic location, brand name, and more. Also included are white papers describing industry trends, and information about companies and product lines.
See The Forest (TM) by IPVision
See-the-Forest ™ Patent Analytics is a free tool for searching within the US Patent landscape to understand patterns of innovation, IP assignment and patent portfolio development.
SciFinder Scholar (UNLV Access Only)
1849-
First-time users must register here to access the site.
Index to scholarly chemistry literature and database of chemical information searchable by chemical name or structure.
European Union Patent Office - Espacenet
The European Union's free patent search tool, Espacenet, offers free access to more than 80 million patent documents worldwide, containing information about inventions and technical developments from 1836 to today.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Helpful information and databases of issued patents and patent applications.
Dimensions (UNLV Access Only)
Dimensions, developed by Digital Science, is a new online database for searching and retrieving research papers, grant information, clinical trials, and patents.
WIPO PATENTSCOPE
The PATENTSCOPE database provides access to international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in full text format on the day of publication, as well as to patent documents of participating national and regional patent offices.
Derwent Innovations Index
Derwent Innovations Index on the Web of Science platform facilitates rapid, precise patent searching, letting you conduct patent and citation searches of inventions in chemical, electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering.
To conduct a thorough, preliminary patent search, you'll need to go beyond searching by keyword. The USPTO and other international patent authorities have elaborate systems in place for classifying inventions. Using these classification systems will allow you to find relevant prior art that may have eluded your searches by keyword.
Because a search for a truly novel invention will come up empty (there is nothing to find), you need to know when to stop searching. When is enough searching enough? There is no perfect answer, but using a logical and organized search process will help you make that decision. The worksheet below may assist you. Feel free to make a copy and modify it to suit your search style.
