Intellectual property (IP) is the lifeblood of a small business. Everything from the way to do business to the details of something you may have invented can give you a competitive edge. But not if a corporation sees your product or process and copies it. How can you protect yourself? With a patent!
Here are the six stages of acquiring the necessary protection for your intellectual property when a patent is the best form of protection.
- Discovery – Does your product or process even qualify for a patent?
- Analysis – What type of patent will work best for you?
- Preparation – Gather all of the documentation needed to apply for the patent.
- Submit – It’s finally time to turn in the application (you can now say patent pending – woo!).
- Approval – Congratulations! You have received your patent, and your IP is protected – for now.
- Maintenance – Patent approval has to be updated regularly. If you let it expire, your IP is free game for the competition.
Make sure you do a patent search, even if you have never seen anything else like what you have made. There are all sorts of patents on things that never even came into existence, and you don’t want to get sued because you made a success out of an idea that someone else gave up on but still holds a patent for.
San Diego Business Owners – Protect Your IP!
Pokala Law APC APC specializes in IP law, and we can help you to acquire the right patents. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling 1-844-695-1487. We’re the affordable business law firm for San Diego’s small business owners.
