| What You Can Patent | | | | to protect their rights. |
| The USPTO have established a broad area of | | | | What You Cannot Patent |
| things on which it will consider granting patents. It | | | | There are certain things that you cannot patent, |
| is possible to patent anything that you have | | | | including ideas. There have been cases in the past |
| invented or designed, a new plant you have | | | | of people suing others for stealing their idea, |
| found, a business method, or an improvement of | | | | creating the product and patenting it. Believe it or |
| a previous invention. | | | | not, this is perfectly legal. |
| Items that have historically been granted patents | | | | Another thing that cannot be patented is nuclear |
| are usually:o Items which are new to the general | | | | energy, or anything that is associated with |
| public.o Items which are considerably different | | | | constructing nuclear bombs. Inventing machinery |
| than any other item which has received a | | | | or tools for nuclear warfare are destructive and |
| patent.o Items which are practical. | | | | not useful items, and therefore will not be granted |
| These are the types of inventions that the | | | | a patent. |
| USPTO will generally look favorably on. | | | | The Patent Office will refuse to patent any item |
| Think of all the items used on a daily basis - from | | | | that has already been sold commercially. |
| the linen on your bed, to the shampoo you wash | | | | Therefore, before distributing or selling your |
| your hair with, the nondairy creamer in your | | | | invention, obtain a patent. |
| coffee, to the parts on your car, and the desk | | | | If in question about needing a patent, read this |
| you sit behind at work - all these have, or used | | | | article again. |
| to have, patents which their manufacturers used | | | | |