Processing of patent applications can take a long time from submission of an application to its granting. The applications are checked for duplication and for derivation, before they are even considered as new inventions. However, that is not the whole process. There are other processes that need to be done prior to patent filing. These include research and discovery, as well as clarifications on prior patents.
Applying for patents is an important part of the creative process not just for the sciences, manufacturing and technology but also for arts and culture. The sheer bulk of information about filings, including failed filings, rejected patents and other data is staggering. Inventors and those who want to patent their ideas have to navigate through this large amount of information to find out if somebody else has already had the same idea and if it has been approved or not.
In some instances, there have been patents granted which are too vague to be of use. It is possible that an inventor may have almost the same idea as another, but with a different and important twist which can make for a viable invention. These are the little things that make discovery and research worthwhile. It is also the reason why most of this research is done by professional outfits like patent lawyers. In fact, lawyers specialise in patents because of the complexity of the process.
To help patent lawyers along, they make use of patent writing software which helps to best describe in detail the invention for the patent application. In the long run, this is very important. The software not only examines the description of the invention, but also at the descriptions of existing patents. The automation does not do all the work, however, as it is only one step in a long process of preparation. There are also the drawings that are part of the filing, and serve as part of the description.
Imagining something is hard to do, and being creative about it and addressing a need is an admirable task. Getting the idea from your head onto paper, and then through the patent process is another thing altogether. Without automated help from patent writing software, this process can be daunting and take longer than necessary, even with the Internet and the information readily available at the patent office.
The rate at which patents are being filed is amazing. People are getting to be very creative nowadays largely due to the amount of information available to them through the Internet. The same information is also used to discover if there are duplicate inventions or concepts. However, even with automated software, sifting through each of these filings is not an easy task. Finally putting these thoughts and concepts on paper has to be spot on. The description should emphasise that the invention is not a duplicate. This alone explains the need for a patent attorney.
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