Question: How would I go about getting a product patented and how much would it cost me? Is there a patent company in Fayetteville? - K.S., Fayetteville
Answer: Slow down a minute there.
Before you charge off after a patent on your great idea, first do a little - or a lotta - research about your idea’s uniqueness and reasonable plausibility.
You’ll save yourself money and aggravation if you do, not least because you’ll become better informed about the whole business.
The United Inventors Association - a nonprofit inventor awareness group - says novice inventors should first stay away from big-talking invention-marketing companies because all they generally do is lighten your wallet.
Instead, head to D.H. Hill Library at N.C. State University in Raleigh and do a patent search to see if your idea really is unique from a patent sense.
If it seems to be, the association says, then build a simple model of it and prove it works.
Then, have your invention evaluated by an unbiased professional.
You should also study up on new product development and network with other inventors. And if things look promising, the association says, meet with a patent lawyer and listen to what he (or she) says.
You could try to file a patent application yourself. But the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office strongly recommends patent seekers to hire a registered patent lawyer or agent.
You can find those folks listed at the patent office’s Web site. Go to www.uspto.gov/main/howdoi.htm and click on ‘find a patent attorney or agent.’
Meanwhile, for loads more information and advice, check the association’s Web site - www.uiausa.com.
You may also want to check out the Inventors’ Network of the Carolinas. Its Web site is www.inotc.org.
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