How to Prepare Before Talking to a Patent Lawyer

As an inventor, protecting the exclusive rights to your invention is imperative. You can apply for a patent, which is a detailed public disclosure of an invention given in exchange for the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention for the duration of the patent’s term.

Because you spent so much time, effort, and resources coming up with your invention, applying for a patent should be the first step before you release anything to the public. Since this can be a complex process, especially if you’re doing it for the first time, you should work with a reliable patent lawyer who can walk you through everything.

But before you meet up with a patent lawyer, you need to be prepared. Here are some of the things that you need to do:

✓ Set your goals for your product.

Although your primary goal is to protect the rights to your invention, you should also discuss what your ultimate goals are for the invention. For instance, you may want to license the production of your invention to another individual or company. Being open and honest with your attorney is really important if you want the patent process to be a success.

✓ Prepare a detailed description of your product.

You can’t just meet with a patent lawyer saying that you have “an idea” and expect that to be enough. You must to be able to explain your invention in detail, either verbally or through the use of written documents that describe your research and thought process. Diagrams, charts, drawings or photographs are also very helpful in describing your product to your lawyer so that he or she knows how to best craft a skillfully written patent application.  And if you already have a prototype, even better.

✓ Set your budget.

The patent application process can be an expensive one, costing several thousand dollars from start to finish. So, before you visit a patent lawyer, make sure that you already have an adequate budget for this process.  During your initial consultation, be sure to ask about the cost of the patent process based on your invention and your goals.  Some patent attorneys work on an hourly basis, while others will give you a fixed fee amount for the cost of preparing and filing the application at the outset of the process.  Knowing what the upfront cost is will be critical for you to stay on budget.

✓ Let the patent attorney do his thing.

Once you have agreed to move forward with a patent attorney, understand that a patent application is challenging to write, even for experienced patent professionals.  Patent lawyers are a different breed than other lawyers, and patent writing is unlike any other legal writing, so the best thing you can do is let your lawyer do his job.  He has your written disclosures about your invention, and notes from your discussions, and if they need more information, they know how to contact you.

When it comes to finding a patent lawyer with the expertise and experience you will need to protect your invention, you need look no further than Parsons and Goltry, PLLC.  Parsons and Goltry, PLLC has a team of patent lawyers who can help you protect your ideas and inventions with the best service you can get in Phoenix, Arizona. We service clients throughout the US and internationally, so don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions!