Patent Searching Online
When you have a great idea for an invention, the Internet can help you find out whether someone else has already thought of it.
Everyone knows that Americans are natural-born inventors. We love to devise new ways to get things done, whether it be cutting the lawn, opening a jar, or speeding across land, air, or water. If you have ever come up with an idea for an invention, your thoughts most likely turned to the next logical question, which is, "Has somebody else already thought of this?"
Why It Matters
In the United States, if you are the first person to come up with an invention, you may very well be entitled to get a patent on it. If you get a patent on an invention, you will be granted a 17- to 20-year monopoly over its use. That monopoly, depending on how you make use of it, may give you new financial independence.
How can you find out whether someone else has beaten you to the punch (and even now may be cashing in on what you're already thinking of as your invention)? Probably the best way is to see whether it has ever been patented. Some great ideas have never received a patent, but most have. A quick spin through a patent database can give you a good head start on finding out just how innovative your invention is.
The Bad Old Days
Not too many years ago, there was no such thing as a quick spin through the patent database. A patent search required hiring a lawyer or professional patent searcher at a cost of $500 or more -- sometimes much more. Few of us are willing to spend that amount of money just to gratify our curiosity. So if you're like most people, you simply would have concluded that since you thought of it, other people had probably thought of it as well.
Online Patent Searches
Thanks to the Internet, you no longer have to give up so easily. You can now do your own patent search in your spare time, with only a reasonable amount of effort. Even better, you can do it without spending more than a few dollars. If it turns out that your invention has never before been addressed in a patent, it may be that the time for a patent has come.
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Copyright 2007 Nolo
