How do you protect your intellectual property? By taking the initiative.

When you have a business that shows potential or are considering selling your idea to the highest bidder, you can’t afford to overlook the function of intellectual property practices. Millions of creative ideas are poured fourth into the Internet day after day, but only some share the singular distinction of bringing their creators success. Patent attorneys are familiar with the ins and outs of the legal system and can provide you the advice or certification you need to ensure you’re not left floundering after theft.

The History Of Patent Law

Patent law is a necessary legal fallback to protect the interests of entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses and corporations. The first patent law introduced in the United States emerged in 1790. Over the decades adjustments would be made to patent law, particularly with the advent of the Internet and all the difficulties it brings in terms of reproduction, alteration and theft.

The Function Of A Patent

A patent, first and foremost, is designed to protect you and your work. Creators seek out patent attorneys to help adjust the fine print and make sure they’re caught up to speed on modern laws. Design patents, for example, will expire 14 years after the first date of issue. Utility and plant patents issued after June of 1995, however, will expire 20 years from the date of application. Without a patent you can find yourself in a lot of legal difficulty — according to analytics provided by Lex Machina, there were over 4,000 patent infringement suits filed back in 2016.

Modern Patent Statistics

What are patent attorneys facing these days? As you can already see, the function of a patent hasn’t lost steam. The U.S. Patent Office is receiving six times as many applications as it did back in 1980. The USPTO issued over 300,000 patents in 2016, to boot, and patent attorneys are more busy than ever providing consultation and helping businesses and individuals alike achieve their goals. The four primary ways to protect your intellectual property are patents, trademarks, copyrights and specific trade secrets.

Important Patent Basics

The duration of a patent varies depending on the field. You also need to know which kind to get for your creative work. A utility patent is considered the most common type of patent issued by the United States and Trademark Office, with 90% of patent documents having been of the utility model. The USPTO defines three kinds of patents so far — the utility patents, the design patents and plant patents. For those that could use a better idea, unique packaging (such as the shape or size of a soft drink bottle) may be eligible for a design patent.

Hiring Patent Attorneys

Intellectual property practice is best done with a professional. Patent attorneys are familiar with the struggles and goals of inventors, businesses and entrepreneurs, able to provide an outsider perspective combined with years of experience helping similar causes. To receive a patent your invention has to meet three criteria — its usefulness, its novelty and what’s known as ‘non-obviousness’. By the time 2016 arrived both general digital communication and computer technologies claimed first and second place as the fields with the most international patent applications.

Protect your idea. Reach out to patent attorneys and apply for a design or utility patent this year.