Patent Agent
Categories: Tech, Regulations
See: Patent.
You have a new idea for a dining utensil that combines the functions of a dinner fork, a salad fork, a shrimp fork, a fish fork, and a dessert fork. You want to get it patented right away. That way, no one else can steal your forking idea.
Time to find a patent agent. These folks help inventors (and crackpots) prepare their patent applications. They are licensed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and provide support in filling out and filing all the documentation necessary to apply for patent protection.
And if your patent is rejected (say, if what you've invented is fundamentally just a fork), they can help you revise the documents and try again. It's important to note that patent agents are separate from patent attorneys. They can perform many of the same functions, but patent agents can't go to court on your behalf (if, for instance, you wanted to sue what you've deemed "the fork monopoly").
