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PatentExpress.com

1 (25%)

LegalZoom.com

0 (0%)

24HourPatents.com

0 (0%)

Patent It Yourself book

3 (75%)

Total Members Voted: 4

[Fred Smith]

I want to get feedback on the best websites to file a patent yourself as an individual inventor.  Which ones do you think are the best sites (e.g., for example, PatentExpress.com, LegalZoom.com, etc.)

[Robert K S]

The best site is uspto.gov and the MPEP (or Google to search it), but I admit with only a little shame that I have occasionally found a quick answer in Patent It Yourself.  I don't own the book, but there's a search inside feature on Amazon.com.

[Wiscagent]

I haven't looked at PatentExpress.com or LegalZoom.com but I doubt that they do more than help you properly fill out the forms and pay the right fees.  But if you are writing your own patent application, the big challenge is to actually prepare the drawings, and write the specification including the claims in such a manner that a worthwhile patent might be granted.

[ababab]

Not the Zoom.

24 is outta bizness, it seems.

Just looked at Express for the first time today. Intriguing! Looks like it could actually possibly work.

The P.I.Y. book is a classic stand-by, good to have on the shelf for reference, regardless.

[JimIvey]

Whenever I hear about inventors doing their own patent work, I always think back of a news story several years ago about a man who gave himself a root canal using a hand-drill (cordless, I believe), a hand mirror, and epoxy. 

Yes, it can be done and can be done successfully, but it's not for everyone.  It's hard to get it right and getting harder all the time.

I'm not familiar with any of those DIY patenting tools, so don't have comments on them.

Regards.

[wangqi]

I registered patentexpress.com, it seems very cool service.

I also watched patentexpress "how-to" video (http://www.patentexpress.com/). the application process is guided by patent attorneys step by step. Pretty nice.

[daniel_basov@yahoo.com]

None of these are any good, unless you are an experienced inventor and prepared many patents before (and also have a patent attorney or agent to ask questions and help you with your patent claims and specification).   


All these services only "file" your patent application, and do not provide any adequate guidance in preparation.  They also do not offer patent prosecution services, and will disclaim any responsibility for any strategic, legal or other issues with your initial application (provisional or non-provisional).  This is at least one reason to go with an experienced patent attorney or agent, who would work and take responsibility for your application throughout the prosecution process.

If you do not know exactly what you are doing, you could lose your priority date and possibly make your invention unpatentable because of all prior art that could arise in the interim period.  With improper preparation, you are very likely to give up important scope of coverage for your invention, and severely undermine marketability and value of your patent (if it issues).         

You can always cut legal costs by doing parts of your application by yourself, provided you have proper instructions and guidance from your patent attorney or agent.  However, saving money by going with one of these services might save you money at the expense of your invention.   

-Daniel
www.srblaw.net/content/blogcategory/15/20/
212-344-1744 

[ThomasNorman]

You can always cut legal costs by doing parts of your application by yourself, provided you have proper instructions and guidance from your patent attorney or agent.  However, saving money by going with one of these services might save you money at the expense of your invention.   

-Daniel
www.srblaw.net/content/blogcategory/15/20/
212-344-1744 

I was thinking about doing this. Is it plausible to write the patent yourself, then pay a lawyer for one hour of time or however long to review it and fix anything that might be wrong. I've always suspected they would milk it if they were making several hundred an hour. I have an incredibly simple invention, and I'm afraid they might pretend not to understand it if it was hourly or something like that.

I know it's not standard, but do you think a lawyer would be willing to do this?

[DogDayPM 9er9er9er]

Is it plausible to write the patent yourself, then pay a lawyer for one hour of time or however long to review it and fix anything that might be wrong. I've always suspected they would milk it if they were making several hundred an hour. I have an incredibly simple invention, and I'm afraid they might pretend not to understand it if it was hourly or something like that.

I know it's not standard, but do you think a lawyer would be willing to do this?

Hopefully some of the law firm attorneys will comment on your question, since I don't get paid by the hour, but I don't know anyone in this field who would milk the situation.  Yes, I'm sure there exist some sleazebags ("ambulance chasers of the IP world", if you will), but I don't know any of them.

I suspect solo or very small firms might be willing to work on the basis you describe.  Although I will say that your comment "an hour" is probably quite a bit off - more in the range of 10-30 hours. 

Speaking for myself, I have often found that it takes me more time, not less, to work from someone else's partially completed draft.  Even if it's another patent attorney's work.  One issue with multiple authors that needs to be carefully reviewed is the inherent danger of introducing fatal inconsistencies.

As for my statement above about "range of 10-30 hours", maybe for your invention (which as you say is very simple) this would be a smaller amount of time.  But someone's going to have to open a file and take care of other administrative matters just to get started, and I can't imagine one hour's work would be worth it.

[ThomasNorman]

Thank you for your input, but I'm not talking about partially written. I mean, writing the entire thing myself, and taking it to an attorney not to neccessarily write anything extra, but to make sure I have not made any fatal mistakes. Perhaps even then it would take several hours. I just simply cannot afford to pay for an attorney, so I am doing my best to do it myself because I don't have any other options. I think I'm doing a pretty good job so far just by imitating what other patents do. But I can't help but be worried.

Thank you again for your reply!

[DogDayPM 9er9er9er]

I mean, writing the entire thing myself, and taking it to an attorney not to neccessarily write anything extra, but to make sure I have not made any fatal mistakes.  .... I think I'm doing a pretty good job so far just by imitating what other patents do. But I can't help but be worried.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be snarky, but as an occupational knee-jerk reaction I tend to view all patent applications written by inventors as being "partially drafted".   

Your idea of reviewing other patents and imitating the form you find there can be helpful.  Also, have you looked at patents that are specific to the field most relevant to your own invention?  Not only for the sake of learning how those patents are written and gathering background info, but another thought is that if you are trying to pare patent lawyer/agent time down to a bare minimum, you're probably much better off if the agent or attorney is already well-versed in your area of the art.  So when you review patents relevant to your invention, take note of the attorneys or law firms listed on the patents.  You can look up contact info at https://oedci.uspto.gov/OEDCI/, but note when you look them up someone employed at "General Electric Corp." is a corporate employee so they won't be taking outside clients.  (Also note if you search out patents relevant to your invention - you will have an obligation to report all relevant publications to the patent office)

Hopefully some of the law firm folks here will chime in to give you a general idea as to one's willingness to take you up on the "review only" type of scenario.  Good luck to you.

[MYK]

Could you give some idea of how much you are willing to spend?  I know of one who only charges about $3000 for a simple application.  At least he used to;  he may have retired by now.

[dablueman]

Legal Zoom doesn't actually allow patenting yourself. You can do a provisional or design patent through them, but to do a non-provisional utility patent (the "real  one") all they do is refer you to a patent attorney/agent and collect a fee.

[ThomasNorman]

I mean, writing the entire thing myself, and taking it to an attorney not to neccessarily write anything extra, but to make sure I have not made any fatal mistakes.  .... I think I'm doing a pretty good job so far just by imitating what other patents do. But I can't help but be worried.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be snarky, but as an occupational knee-jerk reaction I tend to view all patent applications written by inventors as being "partially drafted".   

Your idea of reviewing other patents and imitating the form you find there can be helpful.  Also, have you looked at patents that are specific to the field most relevant to your own invention?  Not only for the sake of learning how those patents are written and gathering background info, but another thought is that if you are trying to pare patent lawyer/agent time down to a bare minimum, you're probably much better off if the agent or attorney is already well-versed in your area of the art.  So when you review patents relevant to your invention, take note of the attorneys or law firms listed on the patents.  You can look up contact info at https://oedci.uspto.gov/OEDCI/, but note when you look them up someone employed at "General Electric Corp." is a corporate employee so they won't be taking outside clients.  (Also note if you search out patents relevant to your invention - you will have an obligation to report all relevant publications to the patent office)

Hopefully some of the law firm folks here will chime in to give you a general idea as to one's willingness to take you up on the "review only" type of scenario.  Good luck to you.

As far as finding a patent attorney, my invention is so simple, that I don't think a patent attorney really needs to be skilled in my area to understand it (Perhaps to write about it). But it's basic electronics. I've explained it to my mother who is severely technologically chalenged and she got it.

I have been looking at patents very similar to mine. The main one I'm looking at is nearly identical to mine, but different enough that the uses are completely different, but similar enough that most of the parts are completely the same. It has to do with guitars, or any stringed instrument for that matter. The one similar is patent number 4,096,780, if anybody cared enough to check it out. But mine is different in one key way, so I don't want to copy this patent word for word, but I'm just trying to get as close as I can to this one, without getting any copyright issues.

Could you give some idea of how much you are willing to spend?  I know of one who only charges about $3000 for a simple application.  At least he used to;  he may have retired by now.

I only make 20,000 a year, and living in the bay area, most my money is spent on rent, then some on food and transport. Not much left over for anything else. Believe me, if I had the money I would spend it. My budget is closer to 300 or 400$ max. I was hoping that might be enough to pay a lawyer for an hour or 2. If not, then I'll just do my best on my own.

Thank you all for your responses!

[DogDayPM 9er9er9er]

...My budget is closer to 300 or 400$ max. I was hoping that might be enough to pay a lawyer for an hour or 2. If not, then I'll just do my best on my own.

Thomas, I hope all goes well with your application.  We'll just have to wait and see if anyone thinks an attorney or firm might be willing to open a file for what you can afford and in terms of review-only.  Or of course you can start asking around of firms yourself to find out the same.  If not, well, at least you're pro-actively taking the time and effort to learn as much as you can for yourself and doing the best you can within your financial situation.   

Don't forget to soak yourself in all the free helps available at www.uspto.gov info for inventors, and also don't forget to review that Patent It Yourself book mentioned by poster Robert KS for nuggets that may be in it.  I will mention that the patent you've described as demonstrative seems woefully brief to me (cursory review only), especially given the length of the independent claims, but that's likley colored by my practice area and the fact that I've mostly corporate clients who like verbosity in their apps.  Best of luck to you!

Final thought - any chance you can leverage a local county or city legal aid society, or local bar association?  I admit I'm just shooting in the dark here, but it might be worth it to see if there may be someone who could hook you up with a pro-bono "last check" type review of the sort you propose.