Patents are licenses or government authorities that give you exclusive rights to an invention for a specific period. During that period, you can commercialize your inventions and profit from them. You will also be protected from other individuals or companies who might want to take the invention and sell it or use it to make a profit.
Before seeking patent services, research and understand the different types of patents to ensure you get the right one for your invention.
Provision patent
This is a less formal patent you apply for that proves you had the invention and already knew how to make it work. It gives you extra time to file for a formal patent. However, you lose your provisional patent date if you do not file a formal patent within a year.
Utility patent
Also referred to as a patent for invention, this is what comes to many people’s minds when they think of patents. It is used for new and useful machines, processes, compositions of matter, manufactures, or improvements.
Design patent
This patent protects the ornamental design of useful items. It covers things like shapes and configurations. To get a design patent, your design must be inseparable from the item.
Since this patent only protects the design, you must file a utility patent to protect its structural or functional features.
Plant patent
You can get this patent for new and distinctive plants, provided you can sexually reproduce them, they are not tuber-propagated plants and are not in uncultivated states.
Patents to Retail is a product development company that helps turn patents into retail success. They can also help you find companies offering patent services and others that can help get your invention into the market. Visit https://www.patentstoretail.com/ to learn more about their services and book a consultation.
