subject: The Value Of A San Diego Patent Attorney [print this page] A San Diego patent attorney will play an important role in your success with acquiring a patent. Be sure that you register your patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and other foreign offices as soon as possible. Your application must include one or more claims which specify the invention this is the most critical part of the application of course, because if your description is too broad your application will be rejected as covering prior art. On the other hand, if it is too narrow, the patent may have little value. Since the process is a very urgent matter and is one that involves many particulars, it is strongly advised that you seek the counsel of a San Diego patent attorney as soon as possible.
If you are not sure if you need the guidance of a San Diego patent attorney, you need to seriously consider the reasons why you should enlist the aid of such a professional. The biggest reason is that patents can be confusing, and there are a lot of different aspects of obtaining one properly and legally. Patent law involves strict deadlines, and there are different types of patents as well. You need to make sure that you have everything in order to properly obtain what you need, which is exactly why you need a San Diego patent attorney.
A patent, first of all, is a set of exclusive rights that is granted to an inventor for a useful, novel and non obvious invention. These are granted for subject matter that is described precisely and is also thoroughly designed. The two main types of patents that were previously mentioned are design patents and utility patents. The former are granted for original, new, and ornamental articles and designs, while the latter are granted for new and useful machines, formulas, processes or any improvements on those things. A good attorney will be able to help you apply for the correct type of protection.
In order for an invention to be patentable, it must be novel as defined by law. There are strict deadlines that exist for filing applications, and this is one of the reasons why you need to contact a San Diego patent attorney. It is highly recommended that you contact an attorney before you disclose your invention to ANY third party. Once a patent is issued, you have the duty to enforce it. When someone uses your invention, makes your invention, offers it for sale or sells your invention during the term of the patent, you should contact your patent attorney regarding an infringement. If an infringement exists, you would then be able to sue the person(s) for relief. You may ask the court for an injunction to prevent the infringement from continuing, and you can also ask for an award of damages. This, of course, is grounds for hiring a San Diego patent attorney.