Lebanon Patent Attorneys & Lawyers

What is a Notice of Allowance?

A Notice of Allowance is a document sent to a patent applicant from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) after a patent examiner has decided to issue the requested patent. The Notice of Allowance comes after the inventor has turned in a patent application and provided all information about the invention. This information includes the patent's description, design, drawings, or blueprints.

Since the Notice of Allowance shows the application is complete and meets all requirements, it is the final step in the long and complex

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What Is a Patent Claim?

A patent claim is the part of your patent application, typically for utility patents, that explains what it is you are trying to protect. 

Patent Claim Construction: What is it?

If you have to accuse a person or company of stealing your idea, you will need to prove there has been patent infringement. This process has two steps:

• There is the patent claim, which explains the product's use and makeup.

• There is the infringement analysis, which determines whether or not the claim has been violated.

This means you can't determine the second part (and win the case) without having a strong claim.

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Patent Prototype: What Is It?

A patent prototype is a model, first creation, draft, or patent drawing of an invention. Prototypes are excellent ways to prove your concept or idea, but are not required in the patent application process by the United States Patent Office (USPO). This means you do not need a prototype to attain a patent and likewise, don't need a patent to create a prototype.

A patent signifies ownership of an invention or idea and protects the owner from infringement of that patent. Patent applications should be as detailed and thorough as possible. To show details, many applications include patent drawings or prototypes. So, while a prototype is not required for your patent application, it

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A utility patent vs. a design patent may have inventors wondering which one is best for their invention. Utility patents and design patents differ because utility patents cover unique ideas or inventions, but design patents are for new designs of existing products.

Utility Patent vs. Design Patent

The difference between a utility patent and a design patent is that:

• The utility patent is a trademark protection that makes sure a person has full control over his or her invention.
• A design patent is used when you create a new design for an existing product.

What Is a Utility Patent?

The utility patent is a trademark protection that makes sure a person has full control over his or her invention. More than 90 percent of all patents issued each year are utility patents.

You receive a utility patent when you invent a:

• New process
• Machine
• Manufacturing system.

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The utility patent cost includes a $540 patent search fee, a $220 examination fee, a $330 application filing fee, and possibly a patent lawyer's legal fees which can exceed $10,000. The utility patent lasts 20 years from the date of the original application filing and includes maintenance fees that are billed every few years as follows:

• 3.5 years - $980
• 7.5 years - $2,580
• 11.5 years - $4,110

If your patent application has more than three claims on it, you'll be charged an extra $220 per claim. If you have more than 10 claims on the application, the fee is only $52 per claim.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) might also include additional fees including post-issuance fees, extension of time fees, and trademark processing fees, among others.

Since utility patents are the most valuable, the costs to patent them at the USPTO can range

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