Accessibility of patents

MyStubbleItches

Hi folks,

We've come up with what we think is a pretty simple, viable product that could have a pretty good potential. We've spent a lot of time on the web trying to see if the product (or similar) is out there and so far, so good, it doesn't seem to be as far as we can see.

I know this doesn't mean that the idea/product hasn't already been thought of and patented though. I'm just wondering how easy it is to find out if there is a patent already in place. For instance, can we just contact the patent office and ask them if there are similar products or do we have to come up with a prototype and physically show it to the patent office?

As I'm on the subject, is it expensive to patent an idea or product?

Do you have to patent BOTH the idea and then the product?

Is there an all-encompassing international patent or do you have to pay for a patent for each country?

Finally, is it expensive to patent an idea or product?

Hope someone can answer these questions, thanks a million.

ezspeeder

Yes it is expensive. Don't know actual cost it varies.

Not possible to patent an idea.

As far as I know not possible to get a single international patent.

To find out if patent already in place you need to do some patent searching - done I think by patent lawyers usually, but you can do some searching yourself.

Take a look at www.uspto.gov if you have not already done so. This is the US patent website. You can do searching here yourself. Worth a look around the site. Generally any invention with potential is patented in the US because of the size of the potential market.

If you have what you think is a good product get professional advice from a patent lawyer. They should give you some basic guidance without charge. This is quite a legal area so it is important to get it right. If and when you get a patent then you have a potentially valuable asset. Good luck.

MyStubbleItches

Thanks a million speeder, thats a great help. I'm on that website now and it looks like I have a busy few days ahead of me trawling through it.

On a side note, I'm searching using two keywords in the descriptions of the patents and it turned up a 'device for moistening toilet paper'!!! Trust me, our idea is completely unrelated to this!

Dutchie

MyStubbleItches wrote: »

Thanks a million speeder, thats a great help. I'm on that website now and it looks like I have a busy few days ahead of me trawling through it.

On a side note, I'm searching using two keywords in the descriptions of the patents and it turned up a 'device for moistening toilet paper'!!! Trust me, our idea is completely unrelated to this!

Professional costs of drafting, preparing and filing a patent application can be in the region of €3000 plus VAT. If you want to file a UK application the cost can be an additional €500 in official filing fees. A European application (which provides a comprehensive search and opinion on patentability) costs €1,270 in official fees .
Once the patent application is filed you will have 12 months ‘patent pending’ protection worldwide from the filing date. You must file the patent application before you disclose/publish/sell the product. Otherwise any patent application file subsequent to any disclosure will be ‘novelty’ destroying.

PM me if you want me to put you in contact with my patent lawyer.
Best of luck.