Patent Attorney and Founder
Hi, everybody! I’m J.D. Houvener, your host of the Bold Today Show. I’m so glad you made it here. This is the show where you, the inventor, entrepreneur, or business owner, get your daily dose of inspiration to go make the world a better place. I’m so excited to share with you this session today about what you need to do when you book that consultation with the patent attorney. How do you prepare?
So, this week, we’ve been talking about pre-filing considerations. What do we do before you file the patent application to make sure you get the most bang for your buck? So, once we’ve kind of cleared the hurdles of looking at whether you’re an inventor or an owner, whether you’ve got any statutory bar issues or have any marketability concerns, what are the things you should bring to a consultation once you’re ready to roll?
First off, if you’ve got a business plan, that’s huge. Here at Bold Patents, we don’t mess around. We want to make sure that your goal, likely a business goal, likely monetary, is in mind. You want to make money; you want to enter into the stream of economic competitive nature; you want to bring in revenue, bring in profit, and show that your innovation is where the market should be. So, please bring that in, and whatever shape it’s in. Of course, bring a prototype or show us images or pictures of that. We do most of our consultations via video, and that’s a very powerful way to have you potentially within your own shop in front of your computer, doing a screen share with us, going through the flowchart, looking at the slide deck, whatever it is that you’re willing to articulate. Show us what your invention is. The better idea your patent attorney has of what your invention is, the better the advice is going to be.
We have some clients that come in and are just very skittish. They’re even afraid to tell a patent attorney what their invention is. And many people don’t really think this through, but when you’re talking with an attorney, even if you’re not engaged as a client, they have a duty. Every single bar in all 50 states requires that prospective clients, that communication, is 100% confidential. This is an oath that every attorney signs off on. And that’s why it’s key to be working with a patent attorney, as opposed to a patent agent or some invention sales shop, much like a Davison or an InventHelp. Make sure that you’re actually talking with a patent attorney. Make sure that the conversation, you know, you’re protected under attorney-client privilege, and it’s 100% confidential.
Another thing to bring to that meeting, and on top of the business plan and any prototypes or pictures and images or drawings, are your own drawings. In the patent world, you’re not allowed to submit non-provisional applications, formal drawing applications without drawings. And so, we can’t just rely on a photo. We can’t send in this specimen, you know, the actual machine into the Patent Office. We have to use drawings. And so, if you’ve got your own sketches or if it’s software and you want to articulate how the flow of information is moving through a flowchart, that’s essential. Please bring that with you. That’s key to the consultation because there’s only 30 minutes, likely, to bring about a decision.
You want to bring as many decision-makers to that meeting as possible. So, if you’re a partner in a business, even though you’re the sole inventor, but you’re going to have to bring it up to them anyway to make a decision on whether to hire, bring them to the meeting. It’s important to bring their creative mind to ask all the right questions of the patent attorney while you’re in the room, while you have their attention.
So, just there’s just a few of the top things that I’ve seen be most beneficial for clients when they come in the door to help prepare them to talk with the patent attorney. Hope this was educational for you, and if you want any more information, please go to our website at boldIP.com. Feel free to give us a call to schedule a consultation today. I’m your host J.D. Houvener of the Bold Today Show. Go big, go bold!