← Inventors Insider: 7 Things to Do Before Filing a Patent

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By Marcia Wade Talbert | Published July 28, 2010 | Full size is 450 × 300 pixels

7) Hire a patent attorney. A patent attorney doesn’t help you create your invention. “Our job is to actually file the patent application and obtain patents that are valuable and that mean something to the client,” says Evans. The patent attorney will complete your patent application using legal jargon that will decrease your chances of being rejected. All the research you conducted earlier will come in handy as you and your patent attorney complete the patent application because you will be able to distinguish your patent from “prior art” or another invention’s claim of originality. Hourly rates for a patent attorney can be $300 and up, but they should be consistent with the American Intellectual Property Law Association fee schedule. For more information visit: The Inventors Assistance Center

7) Hire a patent attorney. A patent attorney doesn’t help you create…