Creating something unique has been a passion for mankind from time immemorial. The invention of papyrus and the wheel probably corroborates this view. Not only to give vent to their creative urges, men, women and children invent gadgets, products and services to make life better – from their perspective, and of course make money. And when that brilliant idea gets sold in the market and makes a hit, the inventors become billionaires with international fame. So if you have worked upon an idea or invention for months and years, why not make money out of it?

Before you start making money from your invention, there are numerous steps which you should take, to ensure that this idea does not get plagiarized or stolen. After all, let us not forget that it’s a dog eats dog world that we live in. So how can you protect your invention from being taken away by someone? Patent your invention. That’s the only way. In fact, the intellectual property law has been designed specifically to offer protection to ideas, businesses, trademarks and inventions of people like you and me. There are patenting agencies like Invent Help that could help you.

There are many options on how to go about patenting your invention and the process can be complicated. So it is better you consult a patent agent or attorney to patent your invention. But before you start the process of patenting your invention it is important for you to learn about the functioning of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This office, broadly speaking, is responsible for protecting all aspects of intellectual property. For your information, till March 2006, the USPTO has issued over seven million patents worldwide and every year it handles thousands of new patent applications.

Once you are ready to file a patent for your invention, you can do this yourself or take the help of a patent agent. But ensure that the patent attorney is a reputed one, because the entire process of patenting is not very cheap. Also be ready with the patent application fee when you file. A provisional patent application can also be filed in the United States where you simply have to provide a description of your invention. A provisional patent application does not have other formal requirements of a final patent. It is important to remember that a provisional patent is valid only for 12 months, during which time you could change or improve upon your invention as explained by Invent Help.

Patents can be of three types. Each one has a different application. The 3 types of patents are utility, design and plant. When you file a patent for your invention, the application should carry the name of the inventor, a description of the invention, what it does which should be supported with the necessary drawings, charts, testimonials and all other relevant information about the invention.