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Rohan Kulkarni Ohio is a young professional. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree from Youngstown State University at age 19, in 2012. Shortly after graduation, Rohan Kulkarni Ohio had an idea for online investing. He applied for a US patent and is still waiting to hear from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. "It isn't like applying for a patent and you hear back in a week. It is actually quite a long process," says Rohan Kulkarni Ohio. However, it is a lot of work on the part of the applicant. First, the applicant must make sure the idea or invention has not already been patented. If there is already a patent, then there is nothing the applicant can do. An applicant should always make sure their invention qualifies for a patent and be able to describe every aspect of the invention. "If there is no patent for the invention, then the next step is to figure out what type of application to file. There are three," explains Rohan Kulkarni Ohio. Patents are characterized as: - Design Patent – patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item. For example: furniture, beverage containers, computer icons, etc.
- Plant Patent – patent for newly invented asexually reproducing plants.
- Utility Patent – patent for the invention of new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter.
"After determining which patent you need to file, you determine whether you want to file globally or just within the United States," says Rohan Kulkarni Ohio. After that comes the decision of whether the type of utility patent should be provisional or non-provisional. "Non-provisional application means the beginning of the examination process by the USPTO. Provisional application means your application will expire after a year. It is good if you are not ready to enter your patent for the examination process. It is why you read things that say 'patent pending' on them," says Rohan Kulkarni Ohio. After that comes the decision of whether or not you want expedited examination and whether you want to self-file or hire an attorney. It is a decision based on comfort level. Then comes the electronic filing process and processing fees, followed by the application process using the Electronic Filing System. "After that, it is all in the hands of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Unfortunately, according to the USPTO, the average patent application pendency is 24.6 months," says Rohan Kulkarni Ohio. To read more about applying for a US patent, Rohan Kulkarni Ohio suggests reading and visiting online sites such as: http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/howtopat.htm
http://www.uspto.gov/patents/index.jsp
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/getting-patent-yourself-29493.html
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Rohan Kulkarni Ohio, Patents, Applying for Patents,
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