What is a patent?
A patent is a document that grants the right of exclude other from entering a patented product into the stream of commerce without first securing a license or purchasing an assignment.
Which kind of patents do you do?
There are two main kinds of applications: design patents applications and utility patent applications. The design patents protect the way an object looks: for example if one designs a piece of furniture of a certain particular shape, can protect that unique design with a design patent.
Utility patent applications protect the way an object works: for example if one wants to patent a special locking mechanism that works in a certain unique way, well than chances are that what he is looking for is a utility patent application.
Utility patent applications come in two varieties: provisional and non provisional patent application. They both grant the patent pending status, but while the non provisional patent applications are examined and ultimately, if approved they spring into a patent. The provisional patent applications only hold your place in line, setting your priority date for a whole year, but expiring at the one year anniversary of the expiration filing date if not incorporated or referenced in a non provisional application. I ti all explained on http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2019/07/22/should-i-use-inventhelp-to-bring-my-invention-to-life/.
What is the timeframe of getting a patent?
It depends. It depends on the primary objective of the customer, if one is just looking to get the patent pending status, then a provisional application can make it in a very short time frame.
On the other hand for a regular utility application, filed by mail, to be examined and to be granted into a patent, a five years time period it is not uncommon.
There are on the other hand some ways to accelerate the examination process, or to make it special, customize each application to the needs of individual inventor.
What about confidentiality?
Before you begin discovering an invention, it is important that a non-disclosure agreement is signed between your lawyer and you, which will cover all material, design and methods disclosed. You can even enter into your own non-disclosure agreement.
What is the difference between an Attorney and an Agent?
An Attorney is someone who gets some legal education, passes a state BAR exam and is admitted to practice law in its state. If on top of that they also pass the Patent BAR then they are qualified as Patent attorney and they can prosecute patents.
An agent is a person who must have a technical background, and take and pass the Patent BAR. Patent agents are NOT attorneys, that means agents can help you out in getting a patent for your invention, but cannot do legal work for you like opening up companies, filing patent infringement lawsuits, or doing trademarks as you can see from https://www.sfexaminer.com/marketplace/how-can-you-benefit-from-inventhelp/.