Have you discovered something new and are looking for a patent attorney Chicago IL respects to help you protect it? As patent attorneys, we focus on the protection of inventions, industrial designs, and other intellectual property. We are also able to advise you on the risks of infringing on design and utility patents that are already in place.
As a firm that is very experienced in patent law, if you are seeking a patent attorney Chicago IL turns to, look no further than The Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, LLC for skilled patent attorneys. As one of the leading patent attorney Chicago IL firms, we provide a quality service for patents, intellectual property, commercial litigation, internet law, and technology.
Our patent law team comprised of qualified patent attorneys, can offer advice and assist with research into existing patents and other prior art to determine if your idea or invention is eligible for patent protection. The Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, LLC, as the patent attorney Chicago IL respects, can offer guidance through the application process to obtain your patent.
Our staff is fully qualified and experienced to assist you through this process. Knowledge of the law is only a small part of the patent application process. As a top patent attorney Chicago IL has available, we specialize in patent law and can offer the experience in this field that few other companies can.
A Patent Attorney Chicago IL Professionals Recommend
You may have spent years working on an invention and finally finished the working prototype. Or, perhaps, this is a newer idea that you are trying to patent, but you believe the invention could make a huge difference. Whatever your case, you are now in the market for filing for a patent but you might not be sure what those first steps are. The Chicago, IL patent attorney at the Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian understand the struggle that can come with filing for the correct patent. There are many legal intricacies involved in filing, and having a trusted attorney on your side can ensure your paperwork is filed correctly and can help if—in the future—there is a patent infringement.
Patent law is a very specialized field and hiring a patent attorney Chicago IL relies on can be the difference between a successful application and the illusion of protection that may not actually exist. A patent needs to be well written to afford you the full legal protection possible for your invention. You would not want to go through the process to find that a competitor has been able to use your work due to an application that was not well written and presented. A qualified patent lawyer needs to understand the work you are attempting to protect, and not only the law surrounding the application.
Patent lawyers must be able to explain the patent they are applying for in words that are plain, clear, and simple. The legal and technical knowledge is extremely important to the application, but the patent attorney also needs to be able to explain everything in a concise, clear way to avoid any misconceptions and also be able to successfully litigate the patent should the need arise.
The Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, LLC as a top patent attorney Chicago IL has available, can offer you quality service from a brand name that is trusted in the area. Even though we are a small firm, we ensure that the quality you might get from a larger firm is evident in the work we provide.
What Is the Difference Between a Regular Attorney And a Patent Attorney?
Most lawyers have specializations in a field so that they can be an expert in certain cases. Patent attorneys are no different. When looking to hire a patent attorney in the Chicago, Illinois area, you will usually see two kinds: attorneys who work more with the application process and those who work with patent infringement.
- Patent Application Attorneys. These attorneys can help you specifically as you are starting out your patent process. They can file your patent on your behalf and be a fantastic advocate for your product when it comes to proving how to use your product and why your product is unique.
- Patent Infringement Attorneys. These attorneys can help you if someone else seems to have stolen your idea, reinvented it, or is somehow profiting off the product that you created.
Do I Always Need a Patent Attorney?
Having an experienced patent attorney from the Chicago, IL area with you is not in any way a requirement for a patent, but they can be a great asset—particularly when dealing with legal terminology—to help walk you through the process and advocate for your idea. Most patent attorneys also have specific areas of specialization—like technology or sciences—and can help prove how your product is unique to the industry.
What Can I Usually Expect From Working With a Patent Attorney?
If you and your attorney can sufficiently prove the value and uniqueness of your product, you can receive a patent. Once you have gotten this patent, it is valid for around 15-20 years, and as the sole owner, you have complete rights to your invention. Again, this is where having a Chicago, IL patent attorney who specializes in patent infringement could be useful if someone else profits off your patent.
The Types of Patents We Can Assist You With
A patent attorney in Chicago IL from our firm can help you with all three types of patents that exist: design patents, plant patents, and utility patents. Each type has its own set of eligibility requirements and focuses on one area of discovery or invention. That said, depending on the item in question, there may be an overlap of patent types.
As an example, you may have an object that is unique in its functionality as well as design. In that case, you likely want to apply for a utility as well as a design patent. However, multiple patents are usually not necessary and a Chicago patent attorney can review your invention or discovery to determine what is most appropriate in order to protect your property.
Here is an overview of the three types of patents for which you can apply with the help of a patent attorney Chicago IL creatives hire:
- Utility patent. This is the most common type. It covers the composition of matter (including chemical compounds or mixtures), processes, manufacturing methods, and machines (including computers). One of the eligibility requirements is that the utility must be new and useful.
- Design patent. To be eligible for this type of patent, your design must be of an object’s “surface ornamentation.” This might be the configuration of the object or its shape. The design itself must be part of the object, however, this type of patent will only protect how the object looks and not the object itself. A separate utility patent must be filed for the object itself in order to protect that. An experienced patent attorney Chicago IL inventors choose from our firm can represent you for multiple patents that we can file consecutively or concurrently.
- Plant patent. This type of patent is specifically to protect the creation of new and distinctive plants.
- It cannot be a tuber propagated plant such as a potato plant.
- It also can’t be in an uncultivated state.
- It must be asexually reproducible, which means instead of producing the plant via a seed, it is created by a cutting or grafting of an existing plant. Asexual reproduction is required in order to prove that the plant can be reproduced.
How to Obtain Patent Protection
Regardless of the type of patent you are seeking, patent protection can only be obtained by filing an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). There are both provisional and non-provisional patent applications available to patent-seekers. A provisional patent application can be filed to give the applicant more time to figure out the specifics of the invention or discovery while protecting the invention or discovery from being patented by someone else. A person who files a provisional patent application has one year from the date of filing to file a corresponding non-provisional application.
The non-provisional patent application begins the official examination process for the USPTO to determine if an invention or discovery is eligible to receive patent protection. Although the information that must be included in the patent application will depend on the type of patent that is being sought, non-provisional patent applications will typically include a description and claim of the invention or discovery, drawings, an oath or declaration, and fees. As per the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), a person can also file an international patent application.
We can assist, not only with the patent application, but also fending off opposition suits, or mounting one if your case is good. We also help fend off nuisance suits that may come up during or after your patent, copyright, trademark, or intellectual property registration process. Contact us to speak with a patent attorney Chicago IL residents turn to when their patent is in need of protection.
A Patent Attorney Chicago IL Locals Depend On
Creating something and wanting to share it with the world is the hallmark of any inventor. However, it is not simply as easy as developing a product and selling it to a company. You need to safeguard it with the appropriate patent. To do this, it is best to work with a patent attorney from Chicago, IL to give you the best chance of being granted a patent. If you have any more questions about filing for a patent or patent infringement, or if you would like to set up a consultation with a trust patent attorney from Chicago, IL, contact the Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian today.
Patent Attorney Chicago IL
If you have questions about utility patents, a patent attorney Chicago IL clients depend on can help. At the Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, LLC we have multiple patent attorneys on staff that can assist you.
What Are Utility Patents?
A patent attorney Chicago IL inventors recommend can explain how a utility patent covers the invention or creation of a new or improved product, machine, or process. Utility patents not only protect inventions that are new, but they also protect an advancement on current technology. They protect the inventor from those who would make, use, sell, import, or offer to sell the invention without the authorization of the inventor.
A utility patent can be directed to any manufactured good or industrial process, based on the function or operation of your product. The types of inventions a patent attorney in Chicago IL can assist in obtaining patents for include:
- Machines, such as computers, televisions, tools, or any item which is composed of moving parts
- Items of manufacture, such as pots, mops, dishware, or ceramics
- A process, such as a computer software programs or business process
- Compositions of matter, such as skin care products, cosmetics, or pharmaceuticals
Approximately 90 percent of patents that are issued by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) are utility patents. A utility patent permits its owner to exclude others from making, using or selling the claimed invention for a period of twenty years from the earliest priority date, subject to the payment of maintenance fees.
How Do I Obtain a Utility Patent?
In order to qualify for a utility patent, you will need to make sure that your invention will qualify under the regulations of the USPTO. The agency requires that the invention is both new and useful.
To verify that your invention is new, it is important to conduct a patent search before you submit your own application for a utility patent. And while that may sound like a simple process, remember that there are patents on file that go back to before the year 1800, and the USPTO has issued more than eight million patents. Although there are websites which inventors can use to do the search, they only rely on keywords which is not nearly as thorough search that needs to be done. The process of searching can be a complex one and is a very good reason to retain the services of a patent attorney Chicago IL provides.
Once you have established that you indeed have a new invention, all the paperwork needs to be filled out and submitted to the USPTO. It is critical to the application’s success that all documentation be filled out as detailed and precisely as possible. Failure to provide all the information could result in a rejection of your utility patent application.
Information that the USPTO will be looking for include details regarding each and all inventors who were involved in the process. The agency will also need to know who will retain ownership of the invention. For example, is it one person, joint ownership, or will a company own the utility patent to the invention? If it will be a company, then you will need to provide all kinds of details about what type company it is, as well as details about employees and how the company conducts business.
Details regarding the invention itself, including all the different steps taken to develop the invention and what the current status also needs to be provided in your application.
The process for obtaining your utility patent can take as long as five years. Because it can take so long for the USPTO to finally issue a utility patent, you may want to discuss with your attorney the possibility of also filing a provisional patent, which offers inventors some protection while waiting for the approval of their utility patent. A Chicago patent attorney can explain if this is an option that would benefit you.
For more information about patents, feel free to browse through our brief guides below:
Contact a Patent Attorney Chicago IL Residents Recommend Today
Obtaining powerful patent protection for your intellectual property is one of the most critical steps you can take to ensure the success of your endeavor. At the Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, LLC, Konrad Sherinian has an extensive litigation and intellectual property background. He has experience in various areas of patent drafting and prosecution, and is available to discuss what your utility patent needs may be.
Contact a seasoned patent attorney Chicago IL has to offer at (312) 981-0338, or fill out a contact form on our website.
Our team can offer law, scientific, technological, and engineering knowledge to ensure that your project is fully understood and well presented and that your invention is protected. If you seek representation from a quality patent attorney Chicago IL can depend on, look no further than The Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, LLC.