Rural
Iowa is full of creative people. In fact, a recent analysis by the
Smithsonian Institution showed Guthrie County, Iowa to
be a leading hub of innovation. On a ranking of patents per capita,
comparing all counties in the United States, Guthrie County ranks #4!
(Clemens, Austin.
“Inventing America.” Smithsonian
June 2018: 18. Print.)
A
patent is essentially a contract with the government: in exchange for
disclosing your Great Idea, you get a 20-year monopoly to control its
use and sale.
The
process of obtaining a patent is complex. It is not simply a matter
of filling out a form. The applicant must prove that the invention
meets legal standards for novelty, utility, and non-obviousness. The
application must fully describe the invention and enable another to
practice it. While the initial application cannot be modified, claim
scope is often negotiated with the patent office during the
prosecution phase, which will likely last two years or more.
Although
some inventors file patent applications on their own behalf, most
turn to a registered patent practitioner for assistance.
The United States
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
maintains a searchable list of active patent
practitioners who have passed the USPTO's registration exam and meet the qualifications to represent patent applicants before the USPTO.
Karen
Varley has been a registered patent practitioner since 2000 and has
successfully prosecuted numerous patents in the U.S. and in many
foreign countries. Contact our office if you have interest in
pursuing a patent on your Great Idea!
