The Entrepreneur's Guide to Provisional Patent Applications
A $79 value, downloadable here for FREE
"An essential resource for every entrepreneur's toolbox"
Patent Pro Se is the ultimate resource for entrepreneurial professionals looking to discover, understand and file provisional patent applications. Complete with over 200 pages of explanations, examples, forms, samples and ideas, Patent Pro Se provides all the necessary advice and tools! Learn from Mr. Ferrell as he details each element of the patent specification, as well as explains the forms necessary for preserving a priority date with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Whether interested in preparing and filing your own applications, or just eager to learn more about this area of technology protection, Patent Pro Se is an essential resource for every entrepreneur's toolbox.
What's Inside?
- An explanation of patents
- A detailed review of provisional applications
- Instructions for writing the specification and preparing the figures
- Several sample letters for helping you meet potential licensees for your invention
- A sample non-disclosure agreement
- A resource list for finding more help and information
A Note from the Author:
"In a perfect world, my advice to you would be that when legal issues are complex or important, hire the best attorney you can find. Haircuts, appendectomies and patent matters are best left to skilled and practiced professionals.
"Ours is not a perfect world, though, and for boot-strappers, emerging entrepreneurs and other pre-funded venturers, it is sometimes necessary to compromise with self-help. So before you give yourself a bad haircut, I offer this collection of instructions, samples and forms to get you started in the right direction for filing your own provisional patent application.
"Prior to taking scissors in hand, however, let me provide you with some simple advice about filing your own application: proceed methodically and use the checklists provided at the end of this volume. The process is not unlike assembling a child’s swing set. Almost anyone who owns a screwdriver can do it, but it goes a lot faster if you follow directions. Although the process is not complicated, it is very easy to skip a step or leave out a part, and the penalty for carelessness is added frustration, increased cost, and in the extreme, complete failure.
"There will be those cases when an invention is being published or demonstrated in public and an application must be filed immediately. This is not a good time to try filing your first case. If, however, you have some patience and a little time, filing a provisional patent application is well within the skill set of most inventors.
"Perhaps you are not a do-it-yourselfer at all, just curious about patents and the patent process. You too, will find this book to be a useful resource.
"One of life’s true indulgences is the chocolate soufflé served at Roy Yamaguchi’s restaurants. Constructed of a light chocolate shell with a molten quadruple bypass chocolate center, this incredibly rich, high calorie, high cholesterol, exquisitely sweet dessert should probably only be consumed under a doctor’s supervision—yet once tried, it is unimaginable to consider visiting Kauai, Carmel, San Francisco or another Yamaguchi destination without a visit to Roy’s. Interestingly, the complete instructions for baking this tasty delight can be found at Roy’s website, www.roysrestaurant.com. I have visited the website several times to study the ingredients and the process, and to admire the pictures. I am fascinated by how the ingredients are put together, but even with the recipe in hand, I am personally more likely to try to remove my own appendix rather than attempt to bake a soufflé at home.
"So, even if writing and filing your own provisional patent application is not a short-term goal of yours, you may still find the patent system and process intriguing, as I do. To satisfy your interest, Chapters 2 through 4 of this book discuss patents and the role of provisional patent applications in detail, and hopefully will help you to understand and more fully appreciate the process. This understanding should also help you be a more effective consumer of legal services if you choose to forego self-help."
-John Ferrell
Reader Review:
"Patent Pro Se will save many times its cost in attorney's fees, as it clearly addresses the basic legal parameters, terminology and strategies that must be employed by the successful inventor. Included is a provisional filing checklist, cover sheet and even a return postcard, as well as fee transmittal and patent assignment forms, a non-disclosure agreement, and samples of product sell and patent license letters. If that's not enough, Patent Pro Se also includes samples of patent applications and an actual issued patent, an addressed envelope, two compact disks, an Inventor's Notebook and a three-ring binder to keep everything organized. I found the CDs especially helpful, as I was able to hear the text of the manual while driving around town between appointments. Very convenient and informative."
-Amazon Review
