The Patent Process

3 Easy Steps To Obtain Your Patent

Can I get a patent on my invention?

  1. First,  you should consider the list below of the various types of things for which patent protection may be awarded.
  2. Second, you should contact my office to set up an initial consultation so that we may discuss in more detail what it is that you wish to patent.
  3. Third, conducting a patent search to see if patent protection is available, and if so, which type of patent.

What types of patents are there?

The U.S. Government awards three types of patents:

1. Utility patents – protects the “functionality” of an invention in terms of how it works or what task it performs;

2. Design patents – protects the outward ornamental appearance of an object; and

3. Plant patents – protects the species of a particular plant.

What is patentable?

A utility patent is available for a new, useful, and nonobvious:

  • Process
  • Machine
  • Article of manufacture
  • Composition of matter

Inventions cannot be patented where they attempt to claim:

  • Laws of nature or physics (e.g., gravity)
  • Abstract ideas (e.g., time machines or perpetual motion machines)
  • Music, Literary, Art, or Dramatic works (these fall under another form of Intellectual Property protection known as Copyrights)

Contact Info

Law Office of Kyle Fletcher, P.C.
US Patents & Trademarks
1515 Mocking Bird Lane, Suite 709
Charlotte, NC 28209
704-719-9016

Patent Information

Utility Patent Application Preparation & Prosecution
After you review your opinion letter, you may decide to move forward with a utility patent...
How do I know if my idea is patentable?
See if your idea qualifies. Educate yourself with the basics of the patenting...
Inventorship
If you believe that your invention may be protectable, then you should prepare a written disclosure...
Search for Patents
Search for Patents USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT) Inventors are encouraged to...
Patentability Search and Patentability Opinion
Often the best method of determining whether or not to proceed with a patent application is to have...
Design Patent
If it is determined that your invention will most likely not qualify for utility patent protection,...