Protect Your Idea with The Top Rated Patent Attorney

A patent is a property right granted by the Government of the United States of America to an inventor “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States” for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

Typically, the patent process takes 18-24 months from filing to grant for utility patents. However, we can file your application quickly to secure your “patent pending” status, often within a few weeks of engagement. For faster protection, we also offer provisional patent applications that can be filed even sooner.

The first step is to schedule a free IP strategy call with one of our experienced patent attorneys. We’ll evaluate your invention, discuss your business goals, and create a customized protection strategy that fits your needs and budget.

A patent owner has the right to decide who may – or may not – use the patented invention for the period in which the invention is protected. Patent protection means that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed, imported, or sold by others without the patent owner’s consent.

Patent protection is granted for a limited period, generally 20 years from the filing date of the application.

A provisional patent application provides 12 months of “patent pending” status and is generally less expensive to file. It’s not examined by the USPTO but gives you time to develop your invention further. A non-provisional patent application is the formal application that gets examined and can become a granted patent. At The Rapacke Law Group, we can help you determine which option best fits your business strategy.

A utility patent protects how an invention works or functions, while a design patent protects the ornamental appearance. Our firm handles both types and can help determine which best suits your invention – sometimes both types of protection are recommended.

A provisional patent application is a legal document filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), that establishes an early filing date, but does not mature into an issued patent unless the applicant files a regular non-provisional patent application within one year. There is no such thing as a “provisional patent”.[1] A provisional application includes a specification, i.e. a description, and drawing(s) of an invention (drawings are required where necessary for the understanding of the subject matter sought to be patented[2]), but does not require formal patent claims, inventors’ oaths or declarations, or any information disclosure statement (IDS).

Yes, software can be patented. Our firm has extensive experience in software patents, AI, and machine learning technologies. While there are specific requirements for software patents, our expertise in this area helps navigate these complexities to secure strong protection for your software innovations.