Customer Reviews

Invention Analysis and Claiming: A Patent Lawyer's Guide

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a newly minted patent associate. I've seen other massive tomes around on drafting basics. I'm aware that the bosses rarely have time to initiate a tutorial for the associates. So, what's the solution? I just happened to read an ABA pitch for Slusky's book and picked it up. What a book it is!

It's not easy to take complex subject matter and distill it down into its key components while being educational and keeping the pace light, but dare I say as a novice patent attorney, that Slusky seems to have accomplished just that. I don't know the man, but I couldn't help but think as I read this book that he was standing over my shoulder at my desk, shepherding me along.

It's so clear to me: read with a goal--begin with the problem/solution and keep it in your head throughout your drafting. Slusky's mantra has made it seem so much easier. And isn't that the mark of a good teacher after all, substituting mastery for mystery?

Some people don't learn by reading, but by doing. Fair enough, but this book, unlike its more massive brethren in the field, packs more useable knowledge per page and in an enjoyable style to read, than the others ever could.

Thanks. I feel ready to tackle the most challenging of patent apps!

The first thing that needs to happen whenever any patent attorney/agent starts in the IP section of our law firm is to require them to sit in their office and read this book cover-to-cover. Any billable hours lost in this endeavor will be replaced with an exponential increase in the quality of patent applications that the person will be able to prepare going forward. Every chapter brings a new revelation about how an invention should be claimed and, perhaps more importantly, should not be claimed. Slusky's book makes clear what the objective of a patent attorney/agent should be with respect to patent protection, which is not so obvious when attorneys/agents receive their training on the job. I only wish that I had read this book prior to preparing a single patent application.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to draft valuable, enforceable patent claims. The book is very well written and very clear, and the examples are thoughtfully chosen. I learned much of what I know about elevating patent prosecution to an art form from the author, and this book contains his expert insights. I have personally benefited from this book and intend to buy it for each of my associates.

As a guide for claims drafting it is superb, while I think Landis on the Mechanics of Claim Drafting is an excellent text on the subject for Lawyers, Ronald Slusky's book is outstandingly well written for the beginner and even the novice. He describes in great detail the steps he takes in addressing the problem/solution analysis and then demonstrates various methods that he has found helpful in drafting the broadest independent claim. I like his treatment of fall back positions for overcoming a potential failure of the broadest claim. Sometimes even the skilled forget that their first broad claim while best for their client may not pass muster under the examiner's review. So the retreat and rewrite a less broad claim is quite appropriate. Then Ronald suggests how your analysis might be utilized to defend the claims in an office action and a potential response. Mr. Slusky does not try to write every potential claim form for you but gives helpful definitive suggestions for drafting winning claims. Excellent text. It should be on every Patent Attorney's desk or on the bookshelf of every Patent Agent.

I read this book and immediatly manadated that all of my attorneys read it as well. I also recommended it as essential reading for my law school students. Ron may call himself "old school" but in my opinion his way of thinking about patent claims is the only correct way. I've employed and taught Ron's claim drafting strategies for many years and although I might hate to admit it, I learned a lot from this book.

I wish I had this book when I was first starting out 17 years ago. Instead, I read the claim construction decisions and learned on the job. Claim drafting really is an art form and Ron's book gives you the framework necessary to begin crafting patent claims with a purpose.

I was thinking about writing a text book about how to draft patent applications, but now I'm not so sure I could add much to what Ron has written.

Kirk Teska, author of Patent Savvy for Managers: Spot & Protect Valuable Innovations in Your Company

As a law school professor who includes a heavy dose of claim drafting exercises in an intro patent course, I was *delighted* to find this book. It teaches claim drafting with appropriate respect for 'high theory' and 'practicality'. The author is a master of the art/science of claim drafting and this book lets you sit at the feet of the master!

If it were possible, I would give this book more than five stars. This book is absolutely essential for every new patent practitioner and very beneficial for experienced practitioners. Ron Slusky has a rare gift of distilling down this complex subject into accessible and essential concepts that can be immediately applied. The book is very easy to read and written from the point of a very experienced and talented mentor. It is filled with many clear examples to illustrate each important topic. As a result of reading the book, you will learn how identify your client's essential inventive concept and to construct an enforceable claims suite with both strategic and deliberate intent. Out of all of the books in my patent practice reference library, which include excellent references such as Faber/Landis, Sheldon, and Donner, this one is of most value and use for me. It has significantly changed my practice for the better.

As a newly registered patent agent, I was in need of a practical reference geared toward the beginner. This book meets that need. It provides a practical and straightforward method of analyzing the invention and drafting claims. It is an affordable alternative to the Landis/Faber "bible".

I have known and worked with the author for over 30 years. I was always impressed with his clarity of expression and in his teaching abilities. This book is no exception. I particularly like his choice of familiar inventions to use as teaching points. And just as new inventions are exciting to engineers and scientists, capturing the essence of an invention is exciting to patent practitioners. In this book, Ron Slusky has provided a rare treat for those of us who labor in the field of ideas.

This book is invaluable and not just for a lawyer!
Anyone that has the gumption to try and patent
something theirself[ Pro se']. With the Claims
being the most important part of a patent,this
book identifies a great approach model to ensure
you have claimed the product or process properly.
This book looks at many common mistakes,
made by the novice regardless if it is a lawyer or
anyone!
Invention Analysis and Claiming: A Patent Lawyer's Guide