Customer Reviews

Patent It Yourself (6th ed)

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have used Pressman's Patent It Yourself since the late 80s to file and process 18 patents, and have saved myself and my business partner (a lot of money) in legal fees. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Pressman is not just knowledgeable, he is a master teacher, imparting information with consumate pedagogic skill. He makes learning of complex legal issues as easy as one can imagine. His prose is often humorous and entertaining as well.

One recommendation: If you use this book to write your first patent filing, let a patent lawyer review the filing before you submit. This shouldn't cost you more than an hour or two in attorney fees and from my experience can enhance your submission and improve its chances for allowance significantly. I did this for my first several submissions and learned something each time. Eventually there was little the attorney could offer, and I then ceased the practice.

Wish I could give 6 stars for this remarkable book.

If you're contemplating a patent, this book is a treasure. It is thorough and well-organized, a wealth of relevant material articulately presented by a writer who obviously knows his stuff. Patent attorney David Pressman guides you step by step through the process -- conceiving your idea, adequately documenting your invention, successfully writing and obtaining your patent, avoiding legal pitfalls, and profitably marketing your intellectual property.

At each step along the way Pressman presents insiders' information without which you could easily trip and fall. And at each step he offers practical "laundry lists" of issues to consider, facilitating a level of thoroughness that would be hard to achieve without them.

It's easy to recommend this valuable work, both to inventors who want to seek a patent on their own and to others who just want a comprehensive overview of the law, the issues, and the process.

If you have a great idea, but don't know what to do with it, "Patent It Yourself" by David Pressman is here to help. This book is a true blessing to both novice and seasoned inventors alike. It's organized format and light-hearted illustrations make this a truly enjoyable read. Packed to the gills with information, "Patent It Yourself" will answer virtually any question an aspiring inventor may ask. It covers everything from avoiding invention marketing companies to patent searching, from drafting a patent application to licensing your creation. The author is a practicing patent attorney registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a former patent examiner, as well as an inventor himself with his own patents. His experience definitely shines through in each page of this work. As an inventor myself, I have truly put this book to the test. With the aid of "Patent It Yourself", I have taken two ideas from images in my head, to patented, finished products that are supplementing my income. This book has saved me thousands of dollars in legal fees and has also saved me from many a headache. I would definitely recommend "Patent It Yourself" to anyone interested in turning an idea into profit. Christine Hanisco - Lansdale, PA

I ordered this book to educate myself on the process of obtaining a patent. I don't plan on writing my own application--I believe pretty strongly that, even with a good book of this sort, self-filing is a very bad idea.

I know from some work that I have done that patents are regularly thrown out in court because of technical defects in their language. I am personally familiar with a case in which a major patent was overtuned because it misused insurance industry jargon. But if that's not enough to make your hair stand on end, consider this: Who is going to license or buy a do-it-yourself patent? Probably not Microsoft, GE or Ford.

So why am I buying this book? I suspect that the second major cause of patent failures is the inventor who turns the process over to a lawyer and isn't involved. I want to know the process so that I can be a more intelligent, actively involved client. I rely on my patent lawyer for his legal expertise, and he relies on my for my subject matter expertise. The better I understand the process, the easier it is for him to communicate with me.

'Patent It Yourself' is a good text to use for that purpose, even though it is aimed at do-it-yourselfers. If I know the process well enough that I could do it myself, then I know enough to work with an expert in the field, and to respect his or her expertise.

I'm a patent attorney, and I've kept this book near my desk for years. I recommend it often to clients. Even if they really don't want to file their own patent applications, the book helps them to better understand patent applications. After reading a few chapters, they're often able to make well-informed decisions about their patent matters. And many patent attorneys can benefit from reading parts of the book, such as the chapter on marketing inventions.

First, I unquestionably recommend this book as a must read for anyone even thinking about getting a patent. Second, I recommend that you don't do what the title says.

Use this book as a guide to do as much of the work as possible before you go to a professional. That will save you a lot of time, and this is lawyer time at a bunch of dollars an hour. You're going to have to be the one producing much of this paperwork anyway, but if you can present it to the professional at the beginning it will save him having to educate you.

Read the book carefully. For instance the first thing that the patent office will send you after you file the applications (in a year or two -- yes, a year or two) is the "first Office Action" or "OA." It will turn down your application.

It seems that the PTO rejects the first application on general principles just to see if you're serious about applying for a patent. I don't expect this is a written rule, but it's the real rule. This book says it slightly differently, "rarely will an application be allowed in the first OA." I think "Damn Rarely" would be better wording, like the last time was in 1906. That's probably not true, but close.

You can probably use this book to get a patent. But if that patent ever went to court, it had better be worded exactly as the court wants it or you can find it thrown out.

I have all of David Pressman's books on patenting, you know why? Because I filed my own patent using these books. That's how good they are. They really do have step by step instructionsAgain, reasonable priced, and useful. I strongly recommend these books for anyone that wants to File a Patent. They will allow you to do it yourself without an attorney. You MUST purchase this bbok if you plan on filing a patent with or without an attorney. It really will let you do it without. He also has software that helps you prepare the docs. If you don't have a good word proccessor like WORD, this software will prepare all the docs with an outline. If you have your own favorite Word Proccesor, use the software with it, and you won't go wrong. I was worried I'd screw up the paperwork til I read and used this book.

Pressman has done it again. Taken a complex legal system and made it understandable. Follow his step by step recommendations, and a patent will follow. All the "mombo jumbo" is gone and replaced with readable language, not jargon.

This book inspired me to take and pass the Fundamentals of
Engineering Examination which is the step precedent to
qualifying for the Agent exam or employment in the Patent Office.
The author explains how to draw an invention to statutory
specification and claim the "unobvious" elements. The
definition of unobviousness is a legal nightmare. Pressman
facilitates understanding of the concept.
He explains that:
1. An invention must succeed where others fail.
2. It must solve a problem never before recognized.
3. It must solve a problem thought to be unsolvable or
impractical to implement.
4. It must attain or be capable of attaining commercial success.
5. It is classified in a crowded art where even a small
improvement means a lot.
6. It omits an element without losing functionality or
engineering throughput.
7. It contains a modification not suggested in prior art.
8. It provides an advantage never before recognized.
9. It provides an operative result where past attempts failed.
10. It successfully implements an ancient idea. i.e. time machine
11. It fulfills a long-felt need in practice or industry.
12. It runs contrary to the teachings of prior art.

i.e. It defies gravity or teaches scientific principles
which contradict known principles i.e. Newton's laws

Usually, art must have at least one or more of the above
characteristics. In addition, the examiner must be convinced
that the implement can be built or converted to
commercialization. Applications qualifying on these criteria
are approved provided that a rigorous search does not turn up
prior art. Pressman provides copies of the relevant
Patent Office forms and fee schedules. In addition, he
lists the patent library collections in each state together
with the contact numbers.There is an exhaustive section
on patent vocabulary and claims formulation. This book is
a gold mine. It is worth 5 times the price of admission.
I recommend writing your patent application and showing the
first try to a patent attorney until you become proficient.
In complex cases, you may need to file continuation in part
applications to get an allowance. In any event, this work
will help you deal more effectively with the PTO or an attorney.
In addition, this work will help you argue in court utilizing
the precise "unobviousness" terminology of the PTO.
You must know that a case is rarely allowed by the PTO in a
first review. Usually, there is at least an initial report
disallowing specific aspects which must be overcome. This process
requires that you "dig" into the unobviousness rules and
prove your case to the examiner. If you can't prove the case
(usually after two tries) , a continuation in part application
may be necessary to add more features in order to distinguish
your invention from the current art. The author teaches
how to write the optimal claim which encapsules your
invention into the most all-inclusive mode in practical
application. Lastly, you may be required to describe the
operation of the invention in its preferred mode. Pressman
helps you to formulate any device into a working model or
prototype which can be emulated in practice by an ordinary
practitioner in the scientific art. If you look on the internet,
there are engineering firms which will build a model to
specification for a price.

After having stated all of the above, you must realize that
there is absolutely no way you can read the legal code and
glean all of these rules yourself. Hence, it is easy to see
why Pressman's work is so valuable. It is valuable to
an inventor, law school student or even a patent attorney.
Good luck and don't file a patent application without first
reading this book or one like it.

"Patent It Yourself" is well laid out and written. It gives enough history and background on the Patent system to help one become knowlegeable on a general level. The book leads the reader through all the logical steps of developing a design or utility patent. Many useful forms are included. Not all of the forms are for the Patent Office, for example there is a form for sharing of a patent among partners. The book has tons of detailed information with a fair index. It can be usefull as a reference for those who are using an attorney but want to be in the know.