[Pnickle]

Hey,
Just looking for some info on Patents, got a tricky little tech product that i might patent if i can..
I heard that you can release a product to market, and there is some time period that you have where you can still patent the product,even though its already at market. Anyone know anything about this?

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United States Patent and Trademark Office Home Page

[usakos]

You have one year from the day you make your product available for public use to file your patent application within the U.S.; there are two types of patent applications; provisional and utility applications.

The provisional application is cheaper and less complicated but only protects your invention for a given time period, and the utility application is the actual patent application which might be expensive and complicated, but with a good attorney, you might get it done better and less costly.

I have three US patent pending. If you need help, let me know.

[ron komorowski]

You have one year from when you have disclosed the concept to the public whether it was published in a newspaper, your website or you have made a sale or if it can be proven you showed the guy down the street and did not take the necessary steps to "keep secret"; one year to file a U.S. patent if you disclosed your idea in any of the ways above. A provisional patent may be an option as a first step, read up about it.

Any disclosure to the public you are not eligible for an international patent. You have lost your rights. If the local newspaper does a story on your idea, how would people know to stop your international patent rights? I do not know.

Do two things if you may want to patent. FIRST, go get a book on patents or inventors that write a book about bringing an invention to market, they will cover the basics of patenting in the book. Second, find an inventor's group in your state. Every state has them, inventor's clubs. Usually two or three per state. You will learn at the meetings.

Ron
Inventor of Handi-Straps

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Might another option be to hire an attorney, since a patent is a legal concept, rather than buying books and going to group meetings?