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What website do I find Patent Application Forms?

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Renee`

Junior Member
What is the name of your state?
Pennsylvania.

Hi everyone! I hope you can help me. This is a two-part posting. First is where can I find the appropriate applications to apply for protection for an "idea". I`ve read alot of your postings and my second problem isn`t new to the board. I`m new to the invention world. Like you, I feel I have a great idea that needs to be invented. I made the mistake of contacting and sending in a "Disclosure Form" on the internet to Davison Inventegrational, and of course I received an overwhelming response of interest from them. The Director of the Co. called me, himself and we set up a telephone appt. to speak about just "who" they were. and "what" they did. We also spoke of my design of my invention, in detail! He spoke of their fees of $55/hr for 10-13 hrs. of work and 5% of the royalties. Well I thought that was a very decent price, considering he told me that a patent costs over $2000! It was cheaper to go this route than to get a patent. He was talking me out of the necessity of a patent. His service did not include a patent, of course, but being so new at this what do I know??? He said he had already sent out a package for me with contracts and brochures of some of the products they`ve worked on w/clients, and the history of their successes, which, frankly I wasn`t impressed. I found Free Advice.com, joined and began to read these message boards. I`m so glad that you are here! I have decided NOT to sign these contracts, that expire in 6 mos., by the way. I failed to mention that he sent these contracts out, w/cover letter, BEFORE our telephone conversation, and in the letter he was "thanking me for the pleasure of our conversation"!! I hadn`t even spoken w/him yet! The Director failed to mention how much more money would be needed after the industry product search, the research and data patent search and disclosure document filing was finished, because that`s all I was going to be paying for, and for them to put it in a porfolio for me! All for only $685.00!!! Guaranteeing throughout the contract that they do not promise any financial gain. This is just to see if you want to go further. But see, Mr. Director did not sell this over the phone that way. He spoke of prototypes and developing my invention, then bringing it to the companies, but DID NOT mention any other fees in doing that, and there are!!!
Now I postponed my last telephone meeting w/him to do more investigating and reading of your message board and I want to thank you for helping to save me from making an expensive mistake! I`m disabled and I don`t have alot of money, but I do believe in this idea. I`m thinking of going to the PR of a company, whom I think would have great interest. My question is that the Director knows my idea and he asked me to explain my idea to him over the phone, my vision of it. Since I`m not signing w/them, can they steal my idea? What can I file to protect my idea while I`m looking for backing? Thank you to all in advance and I hope this helps someone else.
 


divgradcurl

Senior Member
First is where can I find the appropriate applications to apply for protection for an "idea".
If your "idea" meets the criteria for a patent, then a patent is how you apply to protect your invention. Start here to learn how to protect your invention with a patent: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/iip/index.htm

Read some of the online information to figure out what you want to do, and how to accomplish it. It's not easy -- it's not like you just fill out a couple of forms and that's it -- but you can do it yourself if you are willing to take the time to learn how to do it. There is a reason why it costs generally a couple of thousand dollars to obtain a patent -- it's a lot of writing and a lot of work. Here's a guide that explains, in considerable detail, what's required to apply for a patent: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/utility/utility.htm

You'll also want to read this: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/iip/documents/scamprevent.pdf

You are right, the guy you've been dealing with is almost certainly a scam.

Since I`m not signing w/them, can they steal my idea?
If you don't take steps to protect your invention, yes, they, or anyone else, could "steal" your idea. The fact is, unless you take steps to protect your idea (either via a patent or trade secret) its not really "your" idea, and anyone else is free to use it.

What can I file to protect my idea while I`m looking for backing?
You could file a provisional patent application. See here: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/provapp.htm

The provisional application is generally less complicated than a full-blown "nonprovisional" patent application (no need to draft claims, for example), although you do still need to draft a complete "specification," or "written description" of the invention. A provisional "locks down" the filing date of your invention, so they are good to get an early date, before you are ready to go ahead with a full application. However, the provisional must be converted into a nonprovisional within 1 year, or the provisional goes abandoned, and the filing date is lost.

If you are unwilling or uninterested in taking the time to learn how to draft your application, you may want to enlist the services of a patent agent or patent attorney to help you draft and file your application. A patent agent will generally be cheaper than a patent attorney. You can search for a patent agent or attorney here: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/roster/index.html

Or you can just use Google to find a patent agent or attorney. Some agents on Google even have price lists, so that you can compare.
 

Renee`

Junior Member
Thank You...

Pennsylvania


Thank you so much for the information and the wide variety of websites you`ve shown me where I can find my information. What I am learning is that this "patent process" is very complicated and expensive! It would be very easy for someone to come along and tell you you have "a great idea", then offer to take care of the leg-work for you for a considerable fee. But then where do the fees stop??? I`m just glad that I have a great knack for detail, because there were many things missing from the written contract that he, (the director of new products @Davison Inventigration), had said in our telephone conversation. I have to call him today with an answer, and you don`t know how much I want to tell him what I really think of him and his company, trying to take hard-earned money from the working person. By the way, they`ve only developed to the final stages 10 inventions out of over 3000. I figure that`s how many people could afford to pay their prices to get to the final stages of marketing it!
There`s something on this website that really bothers me and that is I saw Davison and another company like that, advertised here, sponsored by Google??? I guess everybody has the right to advertise, I just think it`s ironic that we`re here getting help from people like them, who cause the problems.
Anyway, thank you for confirming my thoughts and for all of your ideas.
 

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