
You have decided to engage a patent agent to ensure the safety of your latest creation. It might be for artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning, the internet of things, or any other cutting-edge technology you are currently developing.
You might have previously spoken with an attorney, but you are unsure whether you are getting the appropriate counsel. It is not cheap to hire a lawyer, and intellectual property attorneys often charge hourly fees that are fifty percent more than those of other lawyers.
A patent is typically awarded around three years after it has been filed, except for very hot technologies.
According to data provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, 629 647 patent applications were submitted in 2015. On average, around two-thirds of those applications will ultimately issue. However, the possibility of acquiring a patent varies widely from technology to technology, with certain innovations having as little as a 10% chance of success.
Although it may be tough to find one who would acknowledge it, each patent lawyer has a quality difference.
Nobody can accurately estimate how difficult it will be to have your application approved once you’ve already submitted it, and each round of debate may be quite costly. Depending on the technology field, it may take anywhere from two to four rounds of argument on average; however, many require much more or fewer rounds, and you will be charged for each.
Therefore, it is to your best advantage to select the most qualified attorney possible, one who is familiar with your company’s requirements and who looks out for your best interests. But how can you be sure that the patent attorney or business you pick is the proper one for your innovation?
Wondering if you could hire an attorney who specializes in technology and has experience?
To begin, you will need to seek the services of a patent attorney who has completed the patent bar examination to be registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. To even be eligible to sit the patent bar test, candidates need to establish that they have a technical background by holding a degree in science, engineering, or a field that is substantially similar.
In addition, you can employ a patent agent who has passed the same patent bar exam and has a technical degree but does not need to be a licensed attorney to represent inventors pursuing patents before the Patent Office. Patent agents can pursue your patent on an administrative level, but they are unable to represent you in an appeal or front of a court. Thus their assistance is relatively restricted.
On the other hand, choosing a patent attorney at random is to leave too much to chance the majority of the time. There is a whole host of essential information that you have to take into consideration, such as
- Background inappropriate technological practices
- Strategic advice
- a history of working with patents
- Rates of accomplishment
- The quickness with which patents are processed
- Value determined according to total expenditures
Why is it vital to pick the right patent attorney?
You cannot take the decision to choose the right patent attorney lightly. It matters what lawyer you choose because the patent document is no joke. It is one of the most difficult documents you have to deal with. It takes a precise and high level of legal and technical knowledge just to draft an accurate patent application capturing all the essential information of your innovation.
The patent lawyer is responsible for the patent application’s status and answering the issues raised by the examiner.