The Quick, Cheap  Way to Protect Your Idea
by Garrett Coleman

While I did not do very many things right venturing into the business world I did learn how the patent and trademark system works before I spent any money on them. First off if you only take one thing away from this website, please never hire one of those rip-off invention submission companies. They will take your money, with nothing to show for it.

I am by no means a patent expert but I do know a little about provisional patents. Provisional patents are like pre-patents. They establish a filing date, giving you "patent pending" status and a year to file a traditional patent. Provisional Patent applications are very easy to do yourself and it will only cost about $100 to file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The benefit of filing a provisional patent is that it gives you a year to build test and market your invention without forking out large sums of money for attorney’s fees to file a traditional patent application, or living with the constant fear your idea or product will be stolen or copied. They are commonly used by experienced inventors and manufactures, but for some reason many new inventors and entrepreneurs do not know about them. I used a great book from NOLO, Patent Pending in 24 Hours to learn about them and guide me through filing provisional patents. Patent It Yourself from NOLO is also a good resource.

Make sure you check out the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website as well before you venture into the world of patents. It is easy and free to search the patent database online to see how many other people have patented products similar to yours. I am sure you will be surprised. There is no shortage of filed patent applications. It will also help you better understand your product, and maybe clue you in on something that already exists.


Spotting Fraudulent Invention Promotion Firms!
Consumer Alert.  A must read for any inventor!		Inventor Resources
- Good information, not scams.
Frequently Asked Questions USPTO
Inventors Digest
National Inventors Hall of Fame
United Inventors Association

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