I'm Fed Up With Unethical Patent Attorneys

Yesterday I was contacted by an inventor who had paid $2000 for an utterly inadequate provisional patent application. Now, $2000 and even more for a PPA can be reasonable, provided that it's close to being ready for filing as a non-provisional patent, with the invention described in appropriate detail and decent drawings referenced in the specification. In this case, the filing was a legalistic sounding word salad that barely described the invention and unreferenced drawings the inventor had done himself. With regard to establishing priority, the inventor could have filed his own drawings and a one line description with the USPTO for $75 to receive the same meager benefit.

Patents are complicated and expensive. It's hard to the point of impossible for a newbie inventor to know what steps to take and who to trust. Making it harder, the work of patent attorneys is, for the most part, invisible and untested 99+% of the time.

I know many, many FANTASTIC AND ETHICAL patent attorneys and agents. I encourage inventors to use them. But there are more than a few who exploit inventor ignorance.

So, we're now offering a Patent Strategy Review. We'll look at an invention with our 30+ years of experience, from our inventor/entrepreneur perspective, and tell an inventor what steps we'd take to protect an invention like theirs. Sometimes a lame DIY provisional patent app for $75 makes sense. Other times it makes sense to spend approx $6000 on a utility and PCT filing. We'll also give our opinion on how easy it might be to work around a patent on the invention - a Knockoff Opinion, if you will.

This isn't legal advice. It's practical, actionable business advice from an independent inventor perspective, based on deep and successful experience.

Our Patent Strategy Review will give you a plan for protecting your invention that will help you save money and better protect your invention. Cost is $350.

Mike