Search Results for: blog applying for a patent

Patent Pending – What To Do While You Wait For Your Patent

Now that I have made you wait a little while, here is the final installment of my series on taking your invention from idea to patent to home-based business. If you are wondering why the Patent and Trademark Office has not processed your patent application during the time that it took me to write this series, it is because it typically takes five to eight years for a patent application to make it through the application process. “Excuse me?”, you say. “Five to eight years? I don’t have time for that”. While it is frustrating that the patent process takes … Continue reading →

Applying for a Patent

If you believe that you have invented something, and you have completed the first two steps that were outlined in yesterday’s post (checking to see if it is patentable and doing a patent search), it may be time to move on to the next step – the patent application. You may be wondering why I said “may be”, and rightfully so. Why wouldn’t you fill out a patent application for your invention that you are reasonably certain is not only patentable but also unique? There are a few reasons why you may decide to forego patenting your creation. Although the … Continue reading →

Do You Think That You Have Invented Something?

Do you think that you have a great idea for a new product? If you believe that you have invented something that other people could use, you could potentially start your own business based on that novel idea. This post is the first of a series about how to explore the possibility of patenting your idea, getting your product into production, and marketing it to the public. Before you do anything else, you must make sure that you do in fact have a unique idea. I know, I know, finding out that someone else has already patented “your” genius idea … Continue reading →

Picking The Right Sunscreen For Your Family

Not all sunscreens are created equal. Boy, if I had a dime for each time my dermatologist has uttered those words to me I would be able to afford more trips to her office. In my previous blog I tried to provide a translation of the alphabet soup printed on the outside of sunscreen bottles. Basically, you want to look beyond the SPF numbers and choose a product that protects you from both UVA and UVB rays. The good news is that a growing number of sunscreen manufacturers are paying attention and offering more “broad spectrum” products with UVA blockers. … Continue reading →