|
|
|
|
| |
Frequently Asked Questions
|
|
|
-
I have an idea for an invention. Where do I start?
-
How is Simple Patents different?
-
What guarantees do I have of confidentiality and safe handling of my personal information?
-
Do you outsource to another company or overseas?
-
What types of inventions can you search for?
-
Do you search software and business methods?
-
What is your patent search method?
-
Why is your patent search method better?
-
How can Simple Patents charge so much less than competitors?
-
How do I start a patent search?
-
What is the Free Initial Review?
-
What will I get for $399?
-
How should I proceed after I have my results?
-
Why can't I just get a patentability opinion?
-
What's my next step after the patent search and patentability opinion?
-
Do you offer services beyond patenting?
-
How does the patent process work and how much will getting a patent cost?
-
Can a patent search provide me with a definitive answer on patentability?
-
How do you accept payment, and what is your return/refund policy?
-
How much does it cost to patent an invention?
- I have an idea for an invention. Where do I start?
We recommend doing some research on your own first. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office website, Google Patents, and Free Patents Online offer free resources. Another great resource for finding obscure inventions is Ebay. If your research is inconclusive, then you should come to us.
back to top
- How is Simple Patents different?
Simple Patents is not a law firm, nor are we an invention submission company. Instead, we focus on patent research and patent project management. Most of our patent searches are done in-house. We also manage technical writing and administrative support for our network of patent agents and patent attorneys. In fact, some of our best customers are patent agents and patent attorneys. You can read more about customer satisfaction here.
back to top
- What guarantees do I have of confidentiality and safe handling of my personal information?
Engaging our services means only that we will be assisting you with your patenting process. Ownership of your idea will of course always remain with you. We include an electronic confidentiality agreement in the registration process. Additionally, if you would prefer a written Nondisclosure Agreement, we can send one to you before moving forward with your patent search.
back to top
- Do you outsource to another company or overseas?
No. We do not outsource our patent searches because of the difficulty of maintaining quality and confidentiality. Also, we do not outsource because of the additional time it takes, often several weeks, to return patent search results.
back to top
- What types of inventions can you search for?
We focus on consumer products and industrial equipment. Some examples include:
- Child Care Products
- Golf Accessories & Sporting Goods
- Workshop Tools
- Household Cleaning
- Hunting & Fishing Gear
- Storage
- Games & Toys
- Food Preparation & Serving
- Traveling Items
- Manufacturing Equipment
- Automotive Accessories
- Medical Devices
- MP3 Player Accessories & Gadgets
back to top
- Do you search software and business methods?
Yes, we do handle research in these areas. However, in most cases we require a higher fee than $399, due to the complexity of subject matter and the lack of guidance provided by the USPTO classification system. In addition, we advise inventors to watch recent court cases, in particular the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's recent decision In Re Bilski. For more information, click here
back to top
- What is your patent search method?
We do Full Multi-Subclass (FMS) Searching. We will locate 3-5 subclasses relevant to your invention. Next, we review every patent and published application in those subclasses from the 1800's to the present. After marking 10-20 patents, we will check forward and backward citations. If additional subclasses turn up, we search them completely. In a typical project, we will look at 1,000-3,000 patents. This is much more involved than keyword searching, but we believe it is the only method that guarantees good results for every customer. For additional reference on patent searching, see the USPTO Manual of Patent Examining Procedure section 904.02
back to top
- Why is your patent search method better?
We believe FMS searching is the best way to search a mechanical invention. Most of our competitors use a combination of keyword and subclass searching on recent documents. But we've found that old documents contain a good deal of relevant information too. Moreoever, even when text is available on an old document, mechanical inventions are always difficult to search with text alone. With mechanical inventions, the patent searcher is better off viewing both text and images. (A picture is worth a thousand words) For these reasons, we believe the only reliable patent search is an FMS. With the FMS, we will view at least the cover page of all potentially relevant documents going back into the 1800's.
back to top
- How can Simple Patents charge so much less than competitors?
It's true that Simple Patents charges significantly less than any other firm in the industry. We can charge less for three reasons:
- We are located in the Washington DC Metro area, close to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. We do almost all of our own patent searches without contracting to a third party, as most other firms outside the DC area must do.
- We have developed our own project management software, allowing us to quickly, efficiently organize patent searches and compile reports. We believe our software is the best in the industry for patent searching and delivering results to the customer.
- We do not �bundle� our services. Other firms will try to sell many additional services related to product development and market research right off the bat without first determining if an invention is patentable. Why buy the cow when all you need is a gallon of milk?
back to top
- How do I start a patent search?
To get started all you need to do is create a free account and log in. Once logged in, you can start a project by filling out and submitting an Invention Disclosure Form. To get started, click here.
back to top
- What is the Free Initial Review?
Before you pay for your patent search, we review your Invention Disclosure Form and create a summary of features for your invention. If you agree with our summary, then you can authorize us to execute the patent search and pay for it at that time.
back to top
- What will I get for $399?
We search all current and expired U.S. patents and published applications according to relevant classes and subclasses. We compile our search results into a report that we deliver to you via email. The report will include the following:
- A-List of 10-20 patents we believe are closest to your invention
- B-List of patents that may share one feature with your invention
- List of subclasses searched and keywords combinations used in the search
All references include clickable links to view the actual documents in PDF format. For a sample report, please call us at 1-800-891-1035.
back to top
- How should I proceed after I have my results?
If you review the results and decide you would like to proceed, we can provide you with a patentability opinion from registered patent agent.
back to top
- Why can't I just get a patentability opinion?
Our patent agent will need the patent search results to write the opinion, so the patent search is a necessary first step. Also, if you find the patent search results discouraging, you can opt out of any further investment.
back to top
- What's my next step after the patent search and opinion?
You have two options: You can file a provisional patent application (PPA), which will give you a year to develop your invention, or you can file a utility patent application. Learn more here.
back to top
- Do you offer services beyond patenting?
We focus on patents searches, but we do have partners in the industry whose businesses we know and trust:
- Engineering and Prototyping: If the inventor is further along in the process, it may be wise to build a refined protoype. This typically requires outside assistance for engineering and fabrication. We recommend: Mydea Technologies
- Trademark and Copyright law: In some cases the inventor seeks to protect a product logo or a piece of music. In those instances, it may be wise to seek Trademark or Copyright assistance. We recommend the law firm of Clerkin & Sinclair, LLP
- Industry or Competitive Analysis: After the patent search, our customers sometimes request assistance in industry analysis. We recommend:Ontarget Results.
back to top
- How does the patent process work and how much will getting a patent cost?
There are several steps involved. Click here to see a graphical representation of our process.
back to top
- Can a patent search provide me with a definitive answer on patentability?
A patent search is not an absolute measure of patentability, and there
can never be a guarantee that a search is totally conclusive. This is
because the United States patent system includes more than seven million
issued United States patents, and is classified in over 140,000
class/subclass schemes. although we take great care to make sure every
possible classification of an invention is searched, there is always the
possibility of missing a reference. Accordingly, while we make an
extensive effort to assure the integrity of our work, no patent search can be
totally conclusive. Moreover, the US Patent and Trademark Office maintains more than a
year's worth of unpublished applications that are not searchable by the
public. Finally, relevant documents can be located in non-patent
literature, which we do not currently search.
back to top
- How do you accept payment, and what is your return/refund policy?
Simple Patents accepts credit card payment via Google Checkout or via paper check. To view our return, refund and shipping policies click here .
back to top
- How much does it cost to patent an invention?
There are several layers of costs to patenting an invention. We advise budgeting at least $6,000 to take you from application through patent issuance. This will cover drafting ($3,000), filing fees ($462), response to USPTO objections ($1,500), and issuing fees ($1,055). There can be additional costs if your invention is particularly complex. After the patent issues, you will be required to pay maintenance fees at 3.5 ($450), 7.5 ($1,240), and 11.5 years ($2,055). All fees listed are for small entities. for more information on USPTO fees, click here.
back to top
- How do your customers find you?
Simple Patents generates business primarily through word of mouth advertising and through the use of Google Adwords. We use search terms, such as patent search and patent research, in addition to a few misspellings, such as paten, patin, paton, patton, patint.
back to top
- Does Simple Patents Comply with Rule 11.5(b)?
Strictly speaking, Rule 11.5(b) does not apply to Simple Patents, as we do not represent inventors before the USPTO. However, the Rule does apply to the agents in our network. For further explanation, click here.
back to top
|
| | TO GET STARTED CLICK HERE |
pop up description layer
|
|
|
