As a patent lawyer in Las Vegas, we specialize in patent, trademark, copyright and contract matters including licensing and litigation. Our network currently provides a diverse range of agents covering most technical fields, which offers the client expertise in any patent and trademark area and currently represents clients having patent cases pending or issued in over a dozen countries. The intellectual property world of patents is filled with misinformation which can be confusing for the lay-person. We’ve compiled a list of common misconceptions surrounding patents to settle the score once and for all.
1. Once my invention is patented, the patent office will prevent others from infringing my patent. This is not true as the patent office does not enforce any patent rights. It is your responsibility to enforce your patent by bringing an infringement action against the infringer.
2. It does not make sense for me to get a patent because I have no competitors. While you may not have any competitors now that you know of now, it’s foolish to think this will last. If your product has any commercial value, competitors will arise. By securing a patent on your invention, you have a right to prevent others from making, using or selling a product that would infringe your invention.
3. All patents have value. A patent is only as valuable as the property it covers. In other words, if an invention has a low potential of creating an income stream, the patent has little value. Remember, patents can only be used to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention as covered by the patent’s claims.