The True HD
Billionaire
With the help of a few attorneys I have been able to successfully research, navigate, and file the required paperwork to soon have my own provisional patents and trademarks as early as next year. The process seemed daunting at first seeing as I had no prior experience with the task but being as cautious as I am of inviting unnecessary minds into creative ideas, I decided that no matter how long it took I was going to do as much as I could on my own.
75-80% of a patent you can write yourself. For a utility patent like what I filed for, the three prerequisites are that the invention have utility(usefulness), be nonobvious (surprising/significant development to someone who understands the technical field of the invention), and be novel (different from all previous inventions in some important way). The other two patent types are design patents and plant patents, but utility patents are the most common. The part I'd absolutely recommend having a lawyer for is drafting your claims because the language and verbiage used is critical to obtaining your patent and claims to your rights. They also know about descriptions, how to argue with examiners, how to file forms, and the timing/process overall but you should learn as much as you can independently to be able to mix your own common sense and knowledge with their advice/input.
$1. Gotta have written record of the idea/invention. Inventor's journal signed by a witness etc..... Literally document everything, from the way you conceived it to every aspect and modification of the invention. How you would make it and market it once created. My flash of genius came from wanting to be able to do something on a particular app and not being able to, as simple as the task was, and realizing that this feature hasn't existed across any phone operating system I'd used in the past (primarily Android and iOS). Once I had that
moment all these additional ideas and improvements came rushing to me, which turned it into a whole innovation and big idea. With how simple it was, I knew I was on to gold but honestly I slept on this particular idea for years before finally taking action after telling someone and seeing their reaction..... it was a close family member who has technical experience and their confirmation that they too had never seen the idea as they couldn't go on their phone and physically do what I was suggesting to them let me know I had something.... I would document every aspect I could think of then sit on it for a few days, and then come back and sometimes think of more applications and utility that could be implemented. With the help of basic app design software, youtube, research, + trial/error, I was also able to build a prototype and document the process to show the innovation in effect.
$2. Research to make sure the invention is not out there already. You might not have seen the idea/invention before but that doesn't mean someone doesn't own the intellectual rights to it. The main entity you'll be working directly with is the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and they have search functions that allow you to see everything that's out there. You may also want to hire a professional patent searcher who knows the ins and outs and may discover what an average inventor without previous research experience might not. Even if you do go the paid route and hire a professional searcher, I'd still advise looking and searching to 1) familiarize yourself with the prior art in the landscape of what you are looking to innovate and 2) to gain more of an edge on why your invention/idea is without a doubt unique compared to what's already out. Try a variety of search terms/keywords to make sure that what you're searching isn't possibly being described under another set of words or terms in the patent world. Read patents and see which ones are relevant, keep track of them by jotting down the patent #s and identifying the US classification that relates, then go back and do a classification search. This is basically combing through the patent records with a fine-tooth comb to save yourself time and money and ensure originality.
$3. Prototype. Start with a drawing/sketch of the invention. It would be best to put these in your inventor's journal. Next would be a concept markup, basically making a 3D model of your design to put a skeleton to your idea. Once that's cool, the last step is creating a full-working model of your idea. There are a lot of books, kits and resources that can be used to help you with this. If it is a high-ticket item that would cost hella money to prototype, you can use something like a computer animated virtual prototype. I got hung up in this phase for a while not having the technical know-how myself at first to execute, but after researching and consulting various "techies" I was able to take my time and develop a fully functioning model of the invention
$4. Filing, the fun part. Kinda.... not. The only good thing is you know you're putting yourself in the arena for protection. You can write the patent and fill out the app dolo, but I wouldn't recommend filing yourself until you've had a skilled patent professional/lawyer look it over first. If it's truly valuable and innovative someone (see, big companies with million dollar legal teams) will try to infringe on it and it only takes a little loophole for them to be able to jack you with no penalty... Best to get the legal help from the jump to avoid as many legal issues as you can in the future. Like my island folks say, prevention is better than cure. It will cost money at this stage (filing fees, application issue fees, maintenance fees) so make sure you are serious and have a very viable invention before proceeding to save yourself thousands if you aren't committed to seeing it through. Loose lips sink ships, until you've at least filed a provisional patent it is best not to discuss with any individuals the nature of your invention if there is not an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) involved... when you feel like you're on the brink of what could be the next big thing it is enticing to, I myself fell victim to it, but it is also exactly what made me begin the whole research process and journey to make sure no one pirated my idea.
$5. Market/Profit. Making the business plan and how you will make money, where/how you will manufacture the product/invention and how it will be sold/distributed. Since I started in the tech space with apps, my main concerns are marketing and testing to constantly be improving the user interface and experience to be a seamless task that integrates effortlessly into the average person's daily lifestyle without needing heavy tech knowledge. "So easy a baby could do it. KISS" From conception of the idea to when you see the product/invention come to fruition can be a long process. Even when you file your patent you are not fully protected until your patent has been issued (get the provisional), and even then you have to stay on top of maintenance to not lose your intellectual rights.
Here are some resources that I used which greatly helped me and would surely help any aspiring inventor navigate the patent and copyright landscape. There aren't many patent forums to consult with others due to the competitive nature of ideas, but browsing through what's out there with google searches might uncover additional information to help you.
https://www.uspto.gov/ --> United States Patent & Trademark Office official website, includes FAQs, latest news in the patent world, and information about the basics of Intellectual Property (IP)
FPO IP Research & Communities --> Find patent illustrations with actual PDF documents
There is a Google Patent Search but I wouldn't recommend it as it has some holes in its search functions, but every resource can be useful in some capacity so it gets an honorable mention because it does go all the way back to US Patent #1, so it is a good starting spot for searching.
How to File a Patent --> Good info from LegalZoom on how to file, timeframes, getting a patent fast, etc.
Patent it Yourself - David Pressman
How to Make Patent Drawings - David Pressman
Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks for Dummies
Honorable Mention:
Invent It, Sell It, Bank It - Shark Tank's Lori Greiner
The Independent Inventor's Handbook - Louis Foreman
One Simple Idea - Stephen Key (moreso tailored towards licensing an idea vs executing on your own --- still a great way to make income without having to invest major time/skills and still receive nice profit and returns)
Purchase, borrow from ya local library, or find the PDFs if savvy enough. Just read and gain the knowledge.
Every expert was once a beginner is a mantra I will always live by. I want more Blacks having ownership in the 2020s and beyond, not just material shyt like cars, clothes, n jewelry but patents, copyrights, trademarks, inventions/innovations, licensings, masters to artistic creations, along with real estate, investments and entrepreneurship, e-commerce and the likes. The 00s ushered in the Internet revolution and access to the Internet has never been more widespread, with even teenagers being able to create multi-million dollar online ventures and businesses through the gateway it has provided. By taking some time out to research and apply yourself towards any particular endeavor, and invest time and consistency, one has the ability to make passive and residual income which will benefit you and generations to follow and allow you to live a lifestyle not constricted to "time" or "money" as you aren't under the standard confines the average "worker" finds themselves in. Nothing happens overnight, but through smart hard work, determination, and persistence anything is possible. I find joy in going to my 9-5 Sales job because each sale is money I know will be directly invested as a seed into my patents, trademarks, and ideas/investments, which will bear the fruit of millions in years to come. By no means am I an expert and I'd be happy to hear some input from anyone with IP (Intellectual Property) knowledge, whether a current inventor or patent lawyer/searcher. Long read but it's just a lot of what I picked up along my journey that would've aided my process had I known it from the jump. Just hope I can inspire and encourage some people to put actionable steps behind their dreams/ideas and take the risk to change their lives.
Don't wish for it, work for it, and don't dream it, just do it (✓) Let's make the 2020s count, Clear Vision n Focus.
#BlackExcellence #BlackWealthWontBeZeroin2053 #BlackBillionaires
75-80% of a patent you can write yourself. For a utility patent like what I filed for, the three prerequisites are that the invention have utility(usefulness), be nonobvious (surprising/significant development to someone who understands the technical field of the invention), and be novel (different from all previous inventions in some important way). The other two patent types are design patents and plant patents, but utility patents are the most common. The part I'd absolutely recommend having a lawyer for is drafting your claims because the language and verbiage used is critical to obtaining your patent and claims to your rights. They also know about descriptions, how to argue with examiners, how to file forms, and the timing/process overall but you should learn as much as you can independently to be able to mix your own common sense and knowledge with their advice/input.
$1. Gotta have written record of the idea/invention. Inventor's journal signed by a witness etc..... Literally document everything, from the way you conceived it to every aspect and modification of the invention. How you would make it and market it once created. My flash of genius came from wanting to be able to do something on a particular app and not being able to, as simple as the task was, and realizing that this feature hasn't existed across any phone operating system I'd used in the past (primarily Android and iOS). Once I had that
moment all these additional ideas and improvements came rushing to me, which turned it into a whole innovation and big idea. With how simple it was, I knew I was on to gold but honestly I slept on this particular idea for years before finally taking action after telling someone and seeing their reaction..... it was a close family member who has technical experience and their confirmation that they too had never seen the idea as they couldn't go on their phone and physically do what I was suggesting to them let me know I had something.... I would document every aspect I could think of then sit on it for a few days, and then come back and sometimes think of more applications and utility that could be implemented. With the help of basic app design software, youtube, research, + trial/error, I was also able to build a prototype and document the process to show the innovation in effect.$2. Research to make sure the invention is not out there already. You might not have seen the idea/invention before but that doesn't mean someone doesn't own the intellectual rights to it. The main entity you'll be working directly with is the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and they have search functions that allow you to see everything that's out there. You may also want to hire a professional patent searcher who knows the ins and outs and may discover what an average inventor without previous research experience might not. Even if you do go the paid route and hire a professional searcher, I'd still advise looking and searching to 1) familiarize yourself with the prior art in the landscape of what you are looking to innovate and 2) to gain more of an edge on why your invention/idea is without a doubt unique compared to what's already out. Try a variety of search terms/keywords to make sure that what you're searching isn't possibly being described under another set of words or terms in the patent world. Read patents and see which ones are relevant, keep track of them by jotting down the patent #s and identifying the US classification that relates, then go back and do a classification search. This is basically combing through the patent records with a fine-tooth comb to save yourself time and money and ensure originality.
$3. Prototype. Start with a drawing/sketch of the invention. It would be best to put these in your inventor's journal. Next would be a concept markup, basically making a 3D model of your design to put a skeleton to your idea. Once that's cool, the last step is creating a full-working model of your idea. There are a lot of books, kits and resources that can be used to help you with this. If it is a high-ticket item that would cost hella money to prototype, you can use something like a computer animated virtual prototype. I got hung up in this phase for a while not having the technical know-how myself at first to execute, but after researching and consulting various "techies" I was able to take my time and develop a fully functioning model of the invention
$4. Filing, the fun part. Kinda.... not. The only good thing is you know you're putting yourself in the arena for protection. You can write the patent and fill out the app dolo, but I wouldn't recommend filing yourself until you've had a skilled patent professional/lawyer look it over first. If it's truly valuable and innovative someone (see, big companies with million dollar legal teams) will try to infringe on it and it only takes a little loophole for them to be able to jack you with no penalty... Best to get the legal help from the jump to avoid as many legal issues as you can in the future. Like my island folks say, prevention is better than cure. It will cost money at this stage (filing fees, application issue fees, maintenance fees) so make sure you are serious and have a very viable invention before proceeding to save yourself thousands if you aren't committed to seeing it through. Loose lips sink ships, until you've at least filed a provisional patent it is best not to discuss with any individuals the nature of your invention if there is not an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) involved... when you feel like you're on the brink of what could be the next big thing it is enticing to, I myself fell victim to it, but it is also exactly what made me begin the whole research process and journey to make sure no one pirated my idea.
$5. Market/Profit. Making the business plan and how you will make money, where/how you will manufacture the product/invention and how it will be sold/distributed. Since I started in the tech space with apps, my main concerns are marketing and testing to constantly be improving the user interface and experience to be a seamless task that integrates effortlessly into the average person's daily lifestyle without needing heavy tech knowledge. "So easy a baby could do it. KISS" From conception of the idea to when you see the product/invention come to fruition can be a long process. Even when you file your patent you are not fully protected until your patent has been issued (get the provisional), and even then you have to stay on top of maintenance to not lose your intellectual rights.
Here are some resources that I used which greatly helped me and would surely help any aspiring inventor navigate the patent and copyright landscape. There aren't many patent forums to consult with others due to the competitive nature of ideas, but browsing through what's out there with google searches might uncover additional information to help you.
https://www.uspto.gov/ --> United States Patent & Trademark Office official website, includes FAQs, latest news in the patent world, and information about the basics of Intellectual Property (IP)
FPO IP Research & Communities --> Find patent illustrations with actual PDF documents
There is a Google Patent Search but I wouldn't recommend it as it has some holes in its search functions, but every resource can be useful in some capacity so it gets an honorable mention because it does go all the way back to US Patent #1, so it is a good starting spot for searching.
How to File a Patent --> Good info from LegalZoom on how to file, timeframes, getting a patent fast, etc.
Patent it Yourself - David Pressman
How to Make Patent Drawings - David Pressman
Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks for Dummies
Honorable Mention:
Invent It, Sell It, Bank It - Shark Tank's Lori Greiner
The Independent Inventor's Handbook - Louis Foreman
One Simple Idea - Stephen Key (moreso tailored towards licensing an idea vs executing on your own --- still a great way to make income without having to invest major time/skills and still receive nice profit and returns)
Purchase, borrow from ya local library, or find the PDFs if savvy enough. Just read and gain the knowledge.
Every expert was once a beginner is a mantra I will always live by. I want more Blacks having ownership in the 2020s and beyond, not just material shyt like cars, clothes, n jewelry but patents, copyrights, trademarks, inventions/innovations, licensings, masters to artistic creations, along with real estate, investments and entrepreneurship, e-commerce and the likes. The 00s ushered in the Internet revolution and access to the Internet has never been more widespread, with even teenagers being able to create multi-million dollar online ventures and businesses through the gateway it has provided. By taking some time out to research and apply yourself towards any particular endeavor, and invest time and consistency, one has the ability to make passive and residual income which will benefit you and generations to follow and allow you to live a lifestyle not constricted to "time" or "money" as you aren't under the standard confines the average "worker" finds themselves in. Nothing happens overnight, but through smart hard work, determination, and persistence anything is possible. I find joy in going to my 9-5 Sales job because each sale is money I know will be directly invested as a seed into my patents, trademarks, and ideas/investments, which will bear the fruit of millions in years to come. By no means am I an expert and I'd be happy to hear some input from anyone with IP (Intellectual Property) knowledge, whether a current inventor or patent lawyer/searcher. Long read but it's just a lot of what I picked up along my journey that would've aided my process had I known it from the jump. Just hope I can inspire and encourage some people to put actionable steps behind their dreams/ideas and take the risk to change their lives.
Don't wish for it, work for it, and don't dream it, just do it (✓) Let's make the 2020s count, Clear Vision n Focus.
#BlackExcellence #BlackWealthWontBeZeroin2053 #BlackBillionaires
