The question on patents in Florida, what they are, what they do, should they be filed, and so on, do come up time and again. For instance where an individual, in a business or organisation of some sort, comes up with something distinct and totally new like a discovery of some sort which is expected to generate an immense amount of wealth for the same entity, but by so doing the entity is also going to run the risk of failing in the event that a competitor may come out and simply copy the discovery. The question of protection against someone copying the product comes in as a viable route to guarantee the success of the whole project. This protection is called “patent protection” and it can be obtained by applying to the appropriate authorities and filing an application. We will proceed to answer some questions that come up in this regard.
What is a Patent?
A patent is a form of intellectual property. So ‘patent protection’ is an exclusive right granted to an applicant which prevents others from commercially making, selling, importing or distributing a patented invention without permission from the applicant or holder. The application can be filed by an individual directly but the process is very complicated. The body that administers this process is called the Patent and Trademark Office and they have their own list of registered agents, so the process to enable an individual to file an application on their own means having to go through a lengthy procedure of a registration process in order to deem the applicant is fit and qualified to file the papers. Therefore it is much easier to just use a patent attorney whom will be already registered with the Patent and Trademark Office.
What does a patent lawyer do?
A patent attorney is a lawyer whom has undertaken further study and experience in this field and holds further qualifications in the law of intellectual property. He or she will be fully knowledgeable of the laws and practices of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and will be a registered attorney on their files licensed with them to practice and represent clients filing applications in their offices.
Why do you need an attorney?
You need a patent attorney not for just what was mentioned earlier but in order to correctly file a patent entails that the applicant must describe the invention in very great detail, explaining why others should be excluded from doing the same without permission from the holder. To do this it would be best to partner with an attorney to ensure that no legal and intricate details are overlooked. The patent attorney will be fully knowledgeable of the patent laws including the rules and practices of the Patents & Trademark Office and will ensure at best that this process is done correctly.
How do I find the right lawyer for my patent?
The answer to this question is to do some research yourself. To simply go and Google a search is not the answer. To ask your acquaintances and friends is also not advisable, for this it is best to search though trusted legal websites with the intention of finding a number of possible lawyers close to your area. Upon doing that you would then visit the websites of the individual law firms you have listed to check on suitability. The issue here is that there are different types of patent protection and you would be looking for an attorney that handles cases like yours. Thereafter and once your list has been further narrowed down, you could then go into the Courts published records to see which of these law firms have successfully filed similar applications. After this you may only need to ensure there will be no conflict of interest like a competitor or rival is using the same law firm and other such issues depending on your requirements and finally make contact.
We have patent attorneys in the following locations in Florida: