The following titles provide guidance to inventors looking to protect their ideas. These books are written by lawyers for non-lawyers; legalize is kept to a minimum. Because the law has a tendency to change and evolve, it is best to use the most current resources possible. For example, U.S. patent law underwent major revisions effective 2011 due to the passage of the American Invents Act (AIA). Thus, any books predating the AIA likely contain major inaccuracies.
Nolo's Patents for Beginners
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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'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 Nolo's Patents 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 It Yourself
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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.
Patent Searching Made Easy
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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 PTRC Written 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.
Profit from Your Idea
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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, Nolo is 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.
How to Make Patent Drawings
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Save on patent drafting by doing it yourself! If you're trying to patent your invention, you know need a drawing to complete your USPTO application. 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.
First to File: Patents for Today's Scientist and Engineer
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Bridges the gap between the realistic needs and questions of scientists and engineers and the legal skills of professionals in the patent field at a level accessible to those with no legal training<br /> Written for inventors in lay terms that they can relate to or easily follow <br /> Lays out the new features of patent law introduced by the America Invents Act of 2012<br /> Explains the differences between the first-to-invent and first-to-file rules and why the two rules will coexist<br /> Focuses on the growth of new technologies in industry versus the laws protecting them
Good for: Searching patents in chemical, electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering.
Contains: Patent and citation data.
There are many tools available to help you search for Prior Arts documents.
Good for: Researching peer-reviewed scientific, medical, technical, and social science literature.
Contains: Index to literature.
Dates covered: 1960-present.
Good for: Researching chemistry literature and chemical information.
Contains: Index to scholarly chemistry literature and database of chemical information.
Dates covered: 1849-present.
Good for: Conducting academic research on all subjects.
Contains: Articles, theses, books, abstracts, patents, and court opinions
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.
The USPTO offers tutorial videos, guides and help for better patent searching.
The Technology Development and Transfer Office and the Office of Economic Development can assist with the process of taking an invention to market.
The Small Business Development Center (http://www.unlv.edu/sbdc) can provide information to entrepreneurs and help navigate the planning and setup of new small businesses.
The Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering's Mendenhall Innovation Center (http://engineering.unlv.edu/programs/mendenhall/about/) allows undergraduate students to earn a minor in entrepreneurship and design.
The UNLV Lee Business School's Center for Entrepeneurship (http://business.unlv.edu/entrepreneurship/Programs/) provides many resources and opportunities for co-curricular opportunities (contests, awards, etc.) that may be of interest to ME 497/498 students.
