Patent Pending in 24 Hours » (5th Edition)

Richard Stim specializes in small business, copyright, patents, and trademark issues at Nolo. He practices law in San Francisco and has represented photographers, software developers, crafts people, publishers, musicians, and toy designers. He is the author of many books, including Whoops I'm in Business, Music Law, and Profit From Your Idea. Stim also produces audiobooks, and performs and records with two bands, MX-80 and angel corpus christi.

Originally from Philadelphia, San Francisco Patent Attorney David Pressman is a graduate of Penn State University (BSEE) and George Washington University Law School (JD) where he was on the Law Review. He has over 40 years of experience in the patent profession -- as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent Office, a patent attorney in corporate and private practice, a university instructor, a columnist, and as author of the Patent and Trademark entries to the World Book Encyclopedia. He is an expert on patent filing, prosecution, and licensing and his books have charted the path for over 250,000 inventors. Patent It Yourself is the most highly recommended guide to patenting an invention. Dave is also co-author of The Inventor's Notebook (with Fred Grissom), How to Make Patent Drawings Yourself (with Jack Lo), Patent Pending In 24 Hours (with Rich Stim), and Patents For Beginners (with Rich Stim).

Take the first step to protecting your invention!

Ready to stamp "patent pending" on your invention? Then you need to file a provisional patent application (PPA), an inexpensive way to claim your hard work. With a PPA, you'll have time to figure out whether you can make a profit from your creation before you invest more time and money.

The 5th edition contains revised and updated patent searching information as well as updated case law and patent regulations, plus additional resources.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Even if you do decide to hire an attorney to protect your invention... reading this book could save you a lot of billable hours.

1. The Provisional Patent Application
2. Deciding Whether to File a Provisional Application: The Seven Hurdles
3. Finding Previous Inventions
4. Drafting the Provisional Patent Application: Part I—Drawing Your Invention
5. Drafting the Provisional Patent Application: Part II—Describing Your Invention
6. Filing and Beyond
Appendix A: Examples of Provisional Patent Applications
Appendix B: Agreements
Appendix C: Glossary
Appendix D: The Inventor's Notebook
Appendix E: Attorneys
Appendix F: Resources