Being an inventor
Nothing like I expected
If you would have asked me a couple of years ago if I would have imagined myself as an inventor, the answer would have been “yes” (you expected me to say “no” — admit it!), because I always toyed in my head with small ideas and searched to see if anyone else thought of them. And most times they did!
But I had a very “romanticized” idea of how this would work: surely if your brain would come up with a great idea, all you would need to do is make sure you share it properly with the world! Or to be more exact with the State Office for Invention and Trademarks. They will then take care of everything and all you would need to do is contact companies that could benefit from your invention. Ta-da!
So the hard part would be to have an awesome idea and then it would be easy-peasy! Right?
WRONG!
I currently have a patent pending for an invention and I am considering submitting another one. And let me tell you: this is a marathon, not a sprint! And you do not just enter the marathon because you have a patent idea, you pay for it!
So let’s see this step by step:
#1 Light-bulb idea
This is the “cloud nine” phase. You had an idea, researched it like crazy and confirmed, as much as you possibly can, that there is no mention of a similar thing. So far so good!
#2 Write it down
Next phase is also research: how do I submit a patent, what information do I need to provide and — by the way — how do you define an invention? This is a longer phase, that will tend to initially eat away your joy! In the end, however, the need to explain it in writing will help and refine your initial idea. Yay!
#3 Submit patent and pay fees
This means you have to submit a series of documents: patent summary, patent description, drawings and claims in multiple copies. And pay the fees.
There are 3 things that will hit you like a tone of bricks: 1) you have to wait for a minim of 18 months just for the patent to be examined; 2) you have to pay a lot of money, 3) even if you get the patent, you still have to pay annual fees and the patent is yours for only 20 years. After that, the inventor no longer has the rights to his invention and anyone could use the idea. “Great”!
#4 Patent application is published
The “Cloud nine” feeling is back! Actually more like cloud 8 or 7 because by now you know this is going to be a looooooooooong project, outside your working hours. But about the same time you consider that you have just one year to submit for an international patent (PCT) if you what to keep the priority date from the national patent. Damn!
#5 Submit for an international patent
OK, let’s do this again: translate everything into English and let’s check again for fees… Oh no! These are no small fees! What did I get myself into? Should I mention that by now I have another awesome idea and I would like to patent it as well?
It seems I have to be careful about having too many great ideas because it’s killing my finances!
#6 Timeline for the international patent
Got access to the WIPO website (World Intellectual Property Organisation) managed to get ownership of my patent request — with some ups and downs in the process. I’M IN!
So let’s check the timeline:
Sep 2019 International preliminary report on patentability (Chapter I) expected to be issued.
September 2019? But I submitted my national patent in March 2017! This will definitely be a marathon!
