Word: patent
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...generally takes from 18 to 20 months to get a patent, though you can make a provisional short-term application for patent pending (telling the public that a patent is on file, but without the legal protection of a firm patent...
...Assess the commercial potential of your invention: What makes it unique or important? A patent is a business decision. You can't get a patent just on a good idea. Your invention can't have been for sale or known about for more than a year before you apply for a patent...
...Document all efforts, and sign and date each entry with two witnesses to your signature. (A patent attorney will steer you through this step...
...your lawyer should do a thorough patent search--called a novelty search--to make sure your invention is special and can be proved to be different...
...This ain't cheap. It'll cost you $1,000 to file and get a patent and $75 or more to apply for a provisional patent. Patents must be renewed periodically: $470 to renew for 3 1/2 years; $950 for 7 1/2 years; $1,455 for 11 1/2 years. Attorney's fees can range from several hundred to more than $10,000. Just a patent search can cost from $600 to $1,200. Miscellaneous filing fees can run an additional...