It is also important to understand that there are many great ideas for products that are simply not patentable. Perhaps they are ideas that are in the public domain. That is, they are owned by the public. These ideas may have had previous patent protection that has expired or they could be items that have been offered for sale in the marketplace without ever having had a patent. If they were ever patented, they may not be patented again, or if they have been offered for public sale, they may not be patented. Perhaps they are too similar to something that is currently protected by a patent. Perhaps they are not unique enough in design to receive a patent. There are a myriad of reasons why a product is not entitled to patent protection. Before you invest your time and your limited financial resources, it is important to determine whether patent protection is even an option.
You can determine this by performing both a market search and a patent search. Market and patent searches are discussed further later. After you have completed each of those searches, it is essential that you obtain a professional patent search including a legal opinion of patentability before you proceed. Only a qualified patent attorney or patent agent can assess the ultimate patentability of your product.We also offers tips for low cost professional patent searches as well as how you may visit with a patent attorney or patent agent about your idea for little or no cost.
