As you're probably aware, the Underwire Camisole is PATENTED! What is a patent? It is the exclusive legal rights granted to an inventor by a government.
Many have asked what the patent process was like. I can tell you - it wasn't too hard, but it was LONG. The US government took it's sweet time (think, over a year) to review, and ultimately approve, of my patent.
Have an idea? Thinking about patenting it? Here are my steps to patent your invention:
- Have an idea. Obviously - you can't go anywhere without an idea.
- Research whether your idea already exists. A patent says that you've created something new. If you're going to create something new, you need to be sure it doesn't exist already (patented or not patented).
- Learn the difference between a design and utility patent, and decided which is best for your invention. A Design patent protects the way something looks. It means that although your invention might already exist, you're putting a new visual spin on it. A Utility patent protects the way something works or functions. Although it might look like something already out there, it serves a new purpose.
- Find an Intellectual Patent Attorney (or if you're really confident in your abilities, file yourself). Initially I thought I would file my own patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). I began reading samples and writing a draft. Although I ended up using an attorney to file, I'm glad I started the process on my own. This gave me something to show the attorney to help communicate my idea. Although his version was probably a little more 'professional' than mine, I think mine was a good starting point.
- Wait! This is probably the hardest part of filing for a patent - the WAIT! It took over a year from the time my patent was filed, to the time it was finally approved. I waited...and waited...and waited. A note of caution - from what I've heard, the USPTO can take well over a year (or two) to approve a patent, so I would say I got lucky.
So there you have it! Want to get your own patent someday, this is a quick overview of the steps to expect. I hope this helps and Happy-Inventing.
XOXO,
Sophia