Intellectual property lawyers are broken into 3 categories: patent, trademark, and copyright. Patent lawyers are the people who can help you patent or protect your invention. It is a highly specialized area of the law and these lawyers work through a lot of paperwork to protect your invention. They can work with individuals and small companies to protect your intellectual property.
What Do They Do?
Patent lawyers research an invention to ensure that it has not been patented before and guide their clients through the intricate process of getting a patent. There is an application process that can be quite tricky, but with their knowledge and skill, it can be done without stressing you out.
To become a patent lawyer, you pretty much start an apprenticeship. First, you go to law school, but this area of the law is so specialized that you need to work with an experienced patent lawyer to learn the process or the tricks of the trade. Even though any practicing lawyer has had to pass the bar, the majority of them have no clue about what goes into a patent application.
It is certainly possible to apply for a patent yourself though unless you know exactly what you are doing, it will end up as worthless. If it is poorly written, or in any way incorrect, your patent may not go through.
If you are looking for the right patent lawyer to help you out, you should be sure that they understand your invention. If they are clear on the technology behind it and its prospects, then you should be in good hands. A good patent lawyer is articulate, good at explaining, clarifying, and simplifying. Though it most definitely takes in-depth legal knowledge, it also takes an indepth understanding of the invention they are trying to patent. In the event that your patent is at some point litigated, you want to have had a patent lawyer that can withstand any attacks on the merit of your invention, and have had the right legal advice to ensure your patent’s validity.
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