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Patents

Inventions are protected in the U.S. Constitution.  Patents include utility, design, and plant patents.  Utility patents are granted for any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.

U.S. Patent Protection

A patent provides legal protection for an invention which may include "any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof." In order to be patentable, the invention must be both new and non-obvious from all previously existing processes, machines, articles of manufacture, or compositions of matter. When patented, a patent owner may prevent others from making, using, or selling an infringing item.

A patent application may be a provisional utility application, a utility application, a design application, or a plant patent application. Each of these different applications has different requirements and provide different types of protection. Depending upon the type of invention that is to be protected, one or more of these application types may be appropriate. We can help sort out which of these applications is appropriate for your needs.

Provisional utility applications and utility applications provide patent protection for a method or process, a system or machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. A provisional application is an application used to obtain a filing or priority date that defines the date before items are prior art. A provisional application is good for up to one year before which the application must be converted to a utility application. In contrast, a utility application is an application that is examined and must meet all of the requirements that are included in every patent. A utility application typically includes more information that makes the cost to prepare and file (or prosecute) the application more than most provisional applications.

A design application protects the aesthetic design of an item. The design application does not protect the functionality of the item, only the appearance.

A plant patent application protects new and non-obvious plant varieties or species.

GIPL Patent Services

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Prior Art Searches

Prior art searches, although not required, provide you with information about similar inventions that exist at the time of filing your application. You can only obtain a patent for an invention that is useful, novel, and unobvious when compared to known prior art. With search results, you can make an informed decision whether to prepare and file a patent application. We will discuss the results and their potential impact on your application.

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Patent Application Drafting

Creating a patent application requires drafting a document with supporting drawings that describes your invention in enough detail that “someone of ordinary skill in the art” can make and use your invention. The description also describes how your invention differs from prior implementations to support an argument that your invention is worthy of being issued a patent. Applications also contain claims that provide a legal definition of your invention. The claims are important. We provide the knowledge, skills, and experience to draft the application to meet all of the requirements.

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Patent Prosecution to Issuance

A patent examiner identifies any issues that prevent the issuance of an application in its present form. The examination determines if the technical details of the application and its drawings comply with the USPTO requirements. The examiner also performs a prior art search using the latest available prior art to determine whether the patent claims contain limitations that make the invention both new and unobvious. Responding to these rejections determine if your application will be issued. Obtaining allowed claims that are as broad as possible while still being novel is a task best handled by a registered patent attorney. We assist in the preparation of these responses and explain to you the impact of the prior art and our response. We are your partner from filing to issuance to help your application become a patent.

Patent Resources

GIPL Invention Disclosure Form

Download the attached file to fill out with information to start discussing your invention. Upload the completed form using the Contact Us page.

USPTO Patent Information

The The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website, www.uspto.gov, provides information for inventors about the patent process and the various steps from filing an application to examination and issuance.

Patent Search

The USPTO website, the European patent Office (EPO) website, and Google Patents provide on-line full-text search engine to search US patents and US Published Applications, PatentCooperation Treaty (PCT) Applications, and National State information. These websites also provide tutorial information to perform a search.

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Contact Gregson IP Law, LLC

ADDRESS
Gregson IP Law LLC
300 E. LOMBARD STREET, SUITE 840
BALTIMORE MARYLAND 21202

(443) 842-7100 / info@gregsoniplaw.com

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