The modern world cannot be imagined without inventions, patents, and other specific creations of humankind. Today, modern business depends largely on knowledge, creativity, and innovation – but also on marketing, trading secrets, and technological practice. This is a very complex area, not only in terms of creativity – but also in the area of protecting the legal rights of the inventor and his invention.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many inventors are not sufficiently versed in the procedures for protecting their invention. What are the most common mistakes they make and how to prevent them? Read in the text before you.
Why Patent Your Ideas?
In every business, many parameters are a prerequisite for a successful business. Entrepreneurial spirit, inventiveness and hard work in all other fields are not a guarantee of success in the market.
However, they certainly represent significant elements that can form the basis for achieving the desired goal. But the way of realizing your genius idea is not always as easy as it might seem at first glance. In fact, developing an idea is the more fun part of the job, and then an extensive procedure awaits you afterward. Your goal is to get a patent.
Patent Law – Protection Of Every Innovator
Patent law is a branch of the law governing patent protection for inventions. The invention is a certain intellectual property. It is a creation of the mind. The invention is subject to protection – while patent is a subjective right. Any new invention in any field, if it has a certain inventive level and is industrially applicable – can be protected by a patent. When we hear the word patent in everyday life, we usually think of the high-tech industries, multinational corporations, and the overall race in technology. That is true.
The most valuable technological innovations are indeed managed by huge corporations. Still, this does not mean that inventiveness has disappeared in the mid and micro levels. Therefore, a patent can also protect an invention from some less attractive areas of technology, science, etc.
Innovators Are Creative People Who Often Make Mistakes
When one deals with inventions, he or she is generally oriented towards the creative part of their business. The fact is – people like that sometimes have to be good managers because of the circumstances. It is because inventing often requires investment.
Sometimes, even very high amounts are necessary for the purpose of researching or initiating an invention. Although you may come across some generous invention patron – don’t be fooled. It is a very common source of the later inability to patent an invention that is yours. Here are some of the most common mistakes inventors make when patenting.
1. Insufficient Knowledge To Search The Patent Database
Most innovators consider it sufficient to compare an invention like its own with the state of the Internet. We must disappoint you – this is by no means enough! You can’t just glean other people’s patent information unless it is already in widespread use and involves mass production.
Even if you succeed in doing so in part – you will be assured that the amount of information and details about the product or invention itself will be limited. For such extensive research, it is necessary to process the patent database in detail.
Depending on whether you want to patent your invention locally or globally – a patent database search also depends. This is where innovators most often make the mistake of thinking that they can do such a great job on their own.
2. Wasting Time And Money
Any research into the patent database takes a long time. Especially if you decide to patent your invention globally. A patent application for your invention also requires money – and often it is not a small amount. The question is: What if you did not do your patent research well enough and you have filed a patent application? This means you have lost both – your money and your valuable time. This is a mistake that innovators often make just because they think they are saving money.
However, ignorance often costs you much more. That is why the help of professional agencies is always recommended for such things. Companies like InventHelp will do this serious research for you – and you can be sure that you will get relevant information about how original your invention is. If you are interested about this, you can read more here, while we will continue with our list.
Therefore, you will not have to spend time on research and money on patenting which could be useless if a similar invention is already registered in the database.
3. Do Not Share Your Ideas With Other People
Although every innovator claims this is a well-known fact, many still make this beginner’s mistake. Sometimes it is a mere coincidence, sometimes because the inventor needs additional financing for his idea – he is at some point ready to serve it on a silver platter to the potential investor.
Unless you have already protected your patent – it can cost you dearly. Stealing patents, copyrights, and intellectual property is, unfortunately, a common thing today. Although patent law covers many possible situations – it still cannot protect you unless you have already protected yourself by registering your patent. Even when you register it, you can still improve your invention.
However, you must register it again through a patent. Otherwise, you risk that someone steals your idea.
4. Always Provide Legal Protection To Yourself
This is a very important issue precisely because of the possibility of theft of your intellectual property. Many innovators believe that legal aid is completely unnecessary before they get a formal patent, but that is not true.
A legal advisor will guide you at all times, not only in protecting your invention and patenting – but also in every step you need to take in this procedure, which is not at all simple. However, to most inventors, the biggest issue is the lack of funds needed to cover all of these services. This is where we get to the fifth most common mistake.
5. Planning The Budget For The Purpose Of Patenting
Most innovators tend to be thinking just creatively. However, as we initially emphasized – sometimes you have to be a good manager as well. And not only that! You must also be a good planner for your budget.
When investing money into your invention, you have to avoid the typical mistake of not anticipating any further costs involved in the patenting process. Patenting, depending on the type of your invention and its registration locally or globally – can be very expensive.
However, it can also make you rich. So, plan a budget for your patenting on time. Many inventors often do not think about it and then find themselves surprised that they do not have enough money to register a patent. This is also the reason why many inventions are still waiting to be patented – and it is also the reason why many patents never even came to life.
