http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers-search/patent-application.html Avvo.com - Patent Application Legal Guides http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/what-to-consider-when-seeking-patent-protection-for-your-invention-outside-the-us For individual inventors and companies of all sizes, the decision to seek patent protection outside the United States can involve some difficult choices. Knowing one's options and some cost-effective strategies can allow inventors and companies to protect and monetize their inventions worldwide. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:10:47 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/what-is-a-patent A patent is a grant of a property right which permits the owner of the patent to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention as claimed in the patent. There are three different types of patents available under U.S. law: (1) utility patents, (2) design patents, (3) plant patents. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:33:27 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/how-to-protect-your-products-appearance Design Patents can be effective tools for protecting the unique visual appearance of your product. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:09:13 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/how-to-choose-a-patent-attorney Important Steps to Take to Choose the Right Patent Attorney For You Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:09:51 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/how-to-file-a-foreign-patent-application When deciding to file a Foreign Patent application one can choose from filing directly or filing a PCT application. If you want to file a foreign application you should make the decision prior to do anything with the invention. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:27:22 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/intellectual-property-portfolio-and-selling-a-business Business owners who desire to sell their business sometime in the distant future would be well advised to immediately start building up a strong Intellectual Property portfolio consisting of Patents, Trademark registrations with the USPTO and their Secretary of State, and Copyright registrations. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:13:01 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/do-i-need-a-patent Many Inventors pursue a patent without even knowing what a patent actually is. Researching what a patent is and what it does is the critical first step toward protecting any invention. Thu, 21 May 2009 16:44:43 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/ten-things-you-did-not-know-about-patents Misinformation abounds when it comes to patents. While facts about patents would fill volumes, here are few interesting facts about patents you can use to regale your geeky relatives over the holidays: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:42:54 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/how-to-prepare-to-file-a-patent-application Filing a patent application nearly always requires an attorney. The explanation of how to make and use an invention is very technical. Identifying the truly new aspects of the invention is very challenging. Thu, 21 May 2009 16:42:47 PDT http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/determine-whether-your-invention-may-be-patentable A preliminary process for an inventor to check whether an invention will be patentable and worthy of spending money and time to file a patent application. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:14:44 PDT