A patent grants property right to an inventor. It is issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This means that a person who creates something can apply for the rights to exclusively own and use their invention. In addition, the inventor has the right to sale and offer to sale the invention to anyone. 

There are three types of patents that a patent attorney minneapolis mn can help a person obtain. The first is called a design patent. It grants the right to a person who invents an original, new or ornamental manufacture design. The second is called a plant patent. The purpose of a plant patent is for an inventor who discovers or creates and asexually reproduces a new type of plant or any distinctive one. The third is called a utility patent. 

What is Utility Patent Protection? 

A utility patent is the most common type of patent. It provides legal protection for the most common type of categories of inventions. These inventions are new and useful. This is different from being an invention that is an ornamental design on a useful product. 

What Makes an Invention Qualify for a Utility Patent? 

An invention must fall into one of the following categories: 

1. The invention is a machine that has moving parts such as an engine or clock 
2. The invention generally has useful items with either few to no moving parts. These few parts include items such as a bolt or a screwdriver. 
3. The invention has processes. These processes are stepwise methods. These stepwise methods include doing business and/or software. 
4. The compositions of matter are included in the invention. These things include mixtures and compounds such as pharmaceuticals and manmade proteins. 

When Should a Person Apply for a Utility Patent? 

A person should file for their utility patent as soon as they complete their invention. The reason why this is important is the first person who applies for a patent application will be considered the inventor. This means that another person may have invented the item at the same time. However, if they are the second person to apply for the patent, they will not have their rights protected. 

Once the patent application is filed, the inventor will receive all legal rights to the invention. This means the inventor is free to put the “patent pending” label on it. This will put others on notice that they can’t use the inventor for their own purposes without permission. During this time, the inventor can obtain royalty payments for anyone who wants to use the invention with permission. 

Contact a Patent Attorney about Obtaining a Utility Patent 

The purpose of utility patents is to protect property they’ve created from being used by anyone else. Obtaining a patent attorney to complete the utility patent process is very important. It is important to protect the created invention from being used by someone. This is called patent infringement.