Patents 101 for engineers

摘要

1. Simply put, a patent is an agreement under which the federal government grants you a time-limited monopoly for your invention. An invention must be "novel," "non-obvious," and "useful." 2. File a patent application to protect market share, build a stronger patent portfolio, and to make it easier to transfer your technology. 3. Decide if the invention should be protected by a patent or trade secret. 4. Consult a patent attorney to assist with prosecution of the patent. 5. Choose the right patent attorney for the job, one with experience in the same field as the invention.