How to Self-Patent With Free Help From the Federal Government

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) encourages individual inventors, entrepreneurs and small businesses by offering extra information and reducing fees. Small inventors get a 50 percent discount on all USPTO fees, but no fee waiver programs exist and practically no federal entity offers grants to cover patent process expenses. While the USPTO strongly recommends that everyone hires a patent lawyer to draft the application, the Office publishes an abundance of material to aid inventors that want to self-patent.

Instructions

Useful Information

1. Go to the USPTO website (follow the link in the Resources section) and familiarize yourself with the layout. The website has several frequently asked question pages, plenty of guides and brochures, and several flow charts explaining the patent process.

2. Go to the "Inventors' Resources" page by clicking on the "Inventors" tab in the toolbar that goes across the top of the USPTO homepage. The Inventors' Resources area includes chat rooms, links to the USPTO's newsletter for entrepreneurs and small inventors, more frequently asked questions and more publications.

3. Read through the detailed, step-by-step guides to design and utility patent applications, which can be found in the "Brochures" section of the Inventors' Resources page.

4. Call the toll-free number dedicated to answering questions for independent inventors (1-800-786-9199) for specific inquiries.

References

• U.S. Patent Office: Inventors' Resources
• U.S. Patent Office: Independent Inventors

Resources

• U.S. Patent Office: Non-Provisional (Utility Patent) Application, A Guide to Filing
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office