Patent Protection

A patent offers inventors twenty years of exclusive rights from the filing date. The benefits of this exclusivity are numerous. Having an exclusive right to sell, manufacture, distribute, implement, lease, and assign a patent is a highly lucrative asset for individuals. Protecting this asset is vital to an inventor’s success. Patent lawyers can protect inventors from the adverse consequences of infringement and other litigation.

Patent agents and lawyers procure, file, and maintain patent papers for inventors. These patents are exclusive rights for a period of twenty years. In some cases, infringers will attempt to copy, sell, or imitate your patented products. There are many forms of patent infringement. The selling, building, implementing, or importing of patented products or technology is illegal. Civil action must take place to protect your patent rights. Important points to note concerning United States patents include the legitimacy of these patents within the United States and its territories and if all patent fees are paid up to date.

A patent agent or lawyer can help with any of these issues. They will make sure to pay all fees promptly and respond to all notices. A patent lawyer offers patentees patent protection and defense against infringement and patent violation cases.

Other forms of infringement on patent rights include:

Inducing active infringement
Grievous direct infringement
Indirect infringement
Contributing to infringement

These items are only a few of the forms of infringement that may occur over the course of a patent’s life. In other instances, competitors may challenge the validity of the patent itself. If a court attempts to declare your patent invalid, your patent protection rights are in serious jeopardy. This will lead to patent litigation. A patent protection lawyer will help uphold and protect your patent rights in a court of law. Due to the high value of some patents, competitors regularly challenge the validity of existing patents. It is important to have expert legal counsel on your side offering you patent protection.

Even though the United States Patent and Trademark Office may approve a patent, many challenges to the validity of this patent are possible. Over the course of twenty years, a patent is likely to come under scrutiny from one or more sources. A patent lawyer will help inventors preserve their patent protection rights. The complexity of filing and preserving patent rights, as well as patent law, mandates that a qualified patent lawyer or patent agent represent your invention. Overall, the knowledge your patent is secure for the next twenty years with the help of patent protection lawyers allows many inventors to move along to their next project and invention.