Expert: Shannon Moore - 5/20/2008

Question
I created a product that I really believe will be big.  It's a summer product though, and  my protype is not even done because I am not a sewer--I am the idea person, but I have trying to do it all on my own.  Where do you find people to help; are there people that invest in new ideas? And finally, can I do a patent search and apply for a patent myself? Wouldn't it save a lot of time and money to just apply and have the patent office say no, there's another one out there like you.  Where to go; I need help and direction.  Thank you so much!

Answer
Dear Diana,

Patenting is pretty complicated & I suggest contacting a patent attorney to guide you through the process. However, that being said, there's nothing wrong with you doing some homework beforehand.

NOLO is a great, free informational site. Also, be sure to read what the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) has to say about patents.

http://www.nolo.com/resource.cfm/catID/00E99E7C-76B3-406F-AE703233C2157E4E/310/1... -- NOLO – Patents Resource Center
http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/faqs.htm -- USPTO's FAQ about Patents
http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/howtopat.htm -- USPTO's How to Get a Patent

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet.

http://www.invention-ifia.ch/ -- International Federation of Inventors' Associations
http://www.uiausa.org/ -- United Inventors Association
http://inventors.about.com/od/localorgs/ -- Directory of Local USA & Canada Groups

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* Patent It Yourself (11th Edition) by David Pressman
* The Inventor's Notebook: A Patent It Yourself Companion by Fred E. Grissom
* From Patent To Profit: Secrets & Strategies For The Successful Inventor, Third Edition by Bob Dematteis

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check out these articles:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Patent---How-To-Get-One&id=144108 – Patent – How to Get One by Michael Russell
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Select-a-Patent-Attorney&id=63502 – How to Select a Patent Attorney by Lisa Parmley
http://ezinearticles.com/?Can-You-Start-Selling-Your-Invention-Before-Patenting-... – Can You Start Selling Your Invention Before Patenting It? by Xavier Pillai
http://ezinearticles.com/?Invention-Help...--Dont-Get-Scammed!&id=64372 – Invention Help…Don't Get Scammed! by Emmet Press

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Warmest regards,
Shannon Moore
http://www.tmexpress.com
http://tmexpress.blogspot.com