Can I file for a Patent myself?

Yes, but…
Patent attorneys are trained in searching, preparing, filing and prosecuting patents.  Patent law is complex and taking incorrect steps can lead to several problems. 

First, and most important, you may believe that you have protected your invention when in fact you have not.  If your patent application does not meet the standards proscribed by the patent laws, you may find that you have wasted time and money and potentially have lost all rights to obtain a patent for your invention.

Second, you may find that you later need the services of a patent attorney.  If you wrote your own patent, you may find that the patent attorney must now charge you more to fix your patent application than it would have cost to begin with.

Last, navigating through the patent laws in responding to office actions is often unfamiliar for most people and you may find that you lose a perfectly good patent application due to your inexperience in knowing correctly what to do when you receive an office action.  Further, you may believe that you have lost your ability to obtain a patent, when in fact a patent attorney could recover from existing problems and even resurrect your abandoned patent application.

For more information on intellectual property, please visit Patent, Trademark, Copyright Information.

The content of this article is not intended to be, and does not constitute, legal advice and does not create attorney-client privilege. Consult the attorney of your choice before embarking on any legal matter or any document preparation/filing.

Dr. Thomas R. (Terry) Williamson III is a Patent Attorney practicing in Atlanta, Georgia.

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