Patent Your Invention

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All of this means that you must make a careful appraisal of your "better mousetrap" before you decide to try to obtain a patent. And that will mean doing some homework.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

To begin, you'll need to see how your invention compares with other-already available-tools for doing the same job. Put in some intensive study time at the local library, in stores, and with any people you may know who are involved in industries related to your invention. Ask about existing products or processes, examine such things directly where possible, and tuck away the information you glean. (Do not, however, talk about your own invention. As you've probably suspected, such publicity can actually prevent you from getting a patent. Public use and sale of an invention or disclosure in print more than one year before patent application is filed will bar your rights to this protection.)

Then, once you're relatively sure your brainchild isn't duplicated by something already on the market, sit down quietly and give your invention a hard, honest appraisal. Is it practical? Does it provide a service that people will pay for? If you can honestly answer yes to both questions, go ahead with your pursuit of a patent. If the answer is no, however, don't waste your time and money trying to get one.

Of course, it's sometimes difficult to be objective when evaluating an invention that might well have resulted from years of work and much expense, so it's fortunate that there are organizations and institutions that can help you make an honest appraisal. One such outfit-which will evaluate new products or services developed by any independent inventor-is the Center for the Advancement of Invention and Innovation, Dept. TMEN, College of Business Administration, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97401 (write for information on how to submit your material). In a similar way, the Office of EnergyRelated Inventions, National Bureau of Standards, Dept. TMEN, Washington, D.C. 20234, provides this type of service for inventions in its specific field.

There are-in many areas-regional institutions that can help, as well: To locate them, contact or join one or more inventors' associations, or subscribe to their newsletters (your local library can assist you in obtaining addresses of the organizations). Also, innovators' workshops, run by national sponsoring groups and regional cosponsors, are held across the country. For a list of these conferences, write to the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, Dept. TMEN, Washington, D.C. 20234.

While you're looking for help, though, be sure to use caution when dealing with so called"invention brokers". Many such companies advertise services that range from evaluating your idea to patenting and marketing it. While some are reputable, don't entrust your money to anyone without making a full inquiry into the business. This checkup should include getting in touch with both the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau. You should also ask for the firm's record of success in bringing inventions to the point of commercial development, and you should speak with former clients of the service.

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