Los Angeles Patent Attorneys & Lawyers

Legal Tips and Information

Bringing Your Idea to Life in Los Angeles

When most people think of the City of Angels, movie stars, entertainment and fortune come to mind.  While it’s true that LA is the cradle of the entertainment industry, it’s also home to some of the top innovators in the world.  In addition to being the home of that company that invented those quickly disappearing photos, pioneers in robotics, investing, virtual reality and even food replacement have found a place in Los Angeles. Los Angeles boasts one of the country’s first “cleantech industry hubs”, a 60,000 square foot building dedicated to bringing entrepreneurs, tech specialists and even policy makers together to support LA’s emerging green technology.  To help foster all of these new ideas, city leaders have even created a position to support change makers –the director of innovation.

In your quest to develop your new idea among the innovators in Los Angeles, you’ll need to search the best patent law firms in LA to find the right patent attorney to meet your unique needs. It’s generally a good idea to select your patent attorney as soon as you’ve decided about making your innovation a reality.  Experts in crafting successful patent applications, patent lawyers have their own background and experience in inventions and ideas gained outside of the practice of law.

The Role of Your Los Angeles Patent Lawyers

Patent and intellectual property lawyers are probably the most specialized attorneys practicing.  In addition to going to law school and passing a bar exam, a patent attorney must also pass another exam to be licensed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  These lawyers must also have a bachelor’s degree in a specific field approved by United States Patent and Trademark Office. 

Your Los Angeles patent lawyer will take your amazing idea and invention and protect so you can reap the rewards of its creation.  When you first meet with your new patent attorney from one of the best patent law firms in LA, you should be asking some important questions. Who can apply for a patent? What can I patent and for how long? How much does this whole patent process cost?

At the outset, after you’re patent attorney has decided that you can apply for a patent, you’ll review your drawings, notes and ideas to make sure your innovation is feasible and most importantly- patentable. The best patent law firms in LA will explain whether your invention is eligible for a utility, design or plant (yes, plant) patent.  Utility and design patents are the most popular (plant propagation technology notwithstanding). A utility patent can help you protect your idea for a new and useful process, machine, way of manufacturing or even a new and useful improvement in one of these areas.  Design patents are used when you’ve developed a new, original, and ornamental design that is part of something that’s manufactured.

After you’ve decided the right kind of patent for your invention, your patent attorney will undertake the sometimes daunting task of searching the millions of patent records to make sure someone else hasn’t already used your idea for the same thing or something similar. Believe it or not over 500,000 patent applications are filed every year!

The best patent law firms in LA will have a team of attorneys from mechanical, electrical, chemical and other technological backgrounds to make sure that your final step, the patent application, is the best that it can be.   These experts will use the knowledge and experience to explain why your new idea is unique and deserves to be protected.  They will also help you make important decisions, like whether or not filing a provisional patent application is right for you, and they can tell you if your patent qualifies for expedited review.  And, perhaps most importantly, the best patent attorneys will know how to add just the right amount of detail to make your patent marketable.

You Have Your Patent, So Now What?

Guided by your Los Angeles patent lawyer, you’ve received the great news that you patent has been allowed.  You’ll need to pay certain fees so that your patent can published and issued to you. It’s likely that you’ll want to pay to get that certified document from the patent office with the ribbon and seal and after that, you’ll have ongoing maintenance fees needed to keep your patent in force.  Patent attorneys in Los Angeles will guide you through these final steps of the patent process and make sure that you’re headed in the right direction for success.

Now you have to decide what your success will be.  Do you want to license your patent? Use it own your own? Sell for millions of dollars? There are many ways that your new patent can be leverage to bring you profits now and in the future.  If your goal as an inventor is to turn your idea into dollars, your patent attorney can work with you to help you chose the best way to make that dream turn into reality.

A Patent Lawsuit – Protecting Your Investment

You’ve done everything you were supposed to do.  You hired the best patent lawyer in LA, you submitted a thorough and well-documented patent application that was quickly allowed by the United States Patent Office.  Your patent was published, you paid all of your fees and you even spent the money for that fancy certified certificate with the ribbon. Then, the unthinkable happens!

You’re watching TV one Sunday afternoon and there, on the screen for three easy payments of $19.99, is a device that looks really similar- too similar- to your awesome invention.  What do you do now?

It’s time to reach out to your Los Angeles patent lawyer once again.  Your patent provides you protection from the making, use or sale of your patented invention without your permission.  When your patent attorney brings a lawsuit in federal court, the court can force that late night seller to stop infringing your patent and even make them pay you monetary damages.  Sometimes, though, a well-written demand letter from your patent attorney will stop the infringer in their tracks.  But one thing is for sure, you’re going to the need expert help of a Los Angeles patent lawyer to develop a smart and effective strategy for quickly dealing with the patent infringer.

Your Partner in Success

From helping you decide if your invention can be patented to protecting your patent from infringement, a Los Angeles patent lawyer will be a partner in your innovation’s success.  You worked too hard on your dream to go it alone.  Can you even imagine sifting through the millions of patents to make sure that your idea is unique and “not obvious?” The patent process is tricky, technical and time consuming.  Working with a lawyer from one of the best patent law firms in LA will help you achieve success and move your idea from innovation to action.    Select an attorney that understands your ideas and addresses your concerns.  Make sure you ask questions about how long the process might take and how much it will cost you.  Talk to your Los Angeles patent lawyer about ways to promote and protect your patent and your investment.  With a great lawyer on your team, you’ll be among the successful innovators in the City of Angels.