Getting a Patent
Filing a Patent Without an Attorney
Thinking about getting a patent on your own? Patent attorneys may not appreciate our telling you this, but the truth is you can get a U.S. patent on your idea or invention without using a lawyer.
Do I need a patent attorney to file a patent?
A friend of ours asked us this question the other day, so we figured we'd answer it here since there must be others who are wondering if hiring a patent lawyer is a requirement for getting a patent.
Despite what many people will tell you, you don't need a patent attorney to file a patent.
Indeed, you might be surprised to know that many patents that are granted are given to resourceful inventors who never paid a dime to a patent attorney.
The patent application process can be a little complex at times, but the patent examiners at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will help you out with applying for a patent, even if you don't have a patent lawyer.
They should! After all, your tax dollars pay their salaries, right?
Getting a patent simply means that you will need to describe all aspects of your invention. You don't need a patent lawyer to do that, do you?
As long as your invention or business idea qualifies for a patent, nothing is holding you back from getting that patent.
Of course, there are a lot of good reasons to hire a patent attorney, so you shouldn't rush to apply for a patent on your own without thinking it through. But, it's nice to know, that in a pinch you can save on patent attorney fees and get a patent without hiring an intellectual property lawyer.
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Do you agree that you don't need to have a patent attorney to file a patent? Why or why not? We welcome your comments and questions about filing a patent application.