5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Patent A Product Properly

Patents protect entrepreneurs’ sources of revenue by preventing other businesses from selling their products. If you are a serious entrepreneur, you need to know how to patent a product properly. Entrepreneurs should know what to prepare for their patent application and what type of patent to file for. Those starting up clothing boutiques need to include the patenting process in their retail business plans. More so, they need to do so accurately and efficiently. Most entrepreneurs get rejected when they file for the wrong type of patent. More so, they deal with competitors stealing their ideas before they are able to apply again. To avoid losing your ideas to your competition, read on to discover the top ways to apply for a patent properly.

Document Product Details

Document everything about the process of how you invented your product is the most important part of the patent process. You should have detailed documents explaining how your product works, what it does and how it would be made. Take the time to create these documents in the early stages of creating your product. You will be using the information you create during this process as part of your application for a patent. The more detailed you are the stronger your claims can be against anyone who infringes on your patent.

Provisional Patent Application

The first type of patent you should apply for is a provisional patent application. Provisional patent applications technically aren’t patents, but they function similarly. Provisional patent applications last for twelve months and allow you to label your product as patent pending. They protect your intellectual property from use by other businesses by giving you a priority filing date without starting a patent term. This means that your competitors cannot file patents for the products that you have created, but they are not yet fully patented. Before the twelve months of your application are finished you must file a non-provisional patent application for one of the three different patent types.

Utility Patent Application

Apply for a utility patent if the product you create can be defined as a new machine, process, manufacture, composition of matter, or improvement of any of the above. If you plan to patent a process, learn how to patent an idea to do so effectively. Entrepreneurs use utility patents to protect a range of products from competitors. However, you need to be meticulous when filing for a utility patent. If your patent is accepted, you will gain the exclusive rights to make and sell your product for seventeen years. Provide any detailed documents you have on the nature of your product’s function or design when filing for a utility patent. Get your documents are in order to patent a product fast and correctly.

Design Patent Application

Design patents are patents that focus on the aesthetic and visual design of a given product.The application for design patents is different from the application for utility patents. Because you are not claiming to have made the device, you do not need to list any details about how the product itself works. However, you must submit a written document, diagrams, and descriptions detailing the design of the product. Upon getting accepted, you gain exclusive rights over your product for five years. You can extend your patent up to fourteen years.

Plant Patent Application

Plant patent applications apply to the creation of different types of plants, fruits and seed. Entrepreneurs in numerous industries require these patents to meet their goals. If you plan on starting up an agriculture business, for example, you will need to apply for this patent. To apply properly, you can deposit seeds or plant tissue in a public depository to demonstrate that your product differs from other plants found in nature or made in a lab. These types of applications are usually called utility patents as well. However, the requirements differ slightly. You cannot detail your process for creating a new type of plant in the same way as creating a machine. Because of this it can be much more difficult to obtain this type of patent.

A patent is the best tool an entrepreneur can use to protect their source of revenue. You can make the process of applying for a patent easier by documenting your product creation. Apply for a provisional patent application to label your product as patent pending and prevent your competitors form profiting off of your work. Identify which type of patent you should apply for. Use a utility patent application if you are inventing your product. If you are creating a new type of design or visual aesthetic for an existing product, use a design patent application. If you are trying to patent a new type of plant, deposit your plant materials to a public depository to make the process easier. Use these tips to ensure you are applying for the proper patent.

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