Dream Invention #1
An all natural wood floor that never needs refinishing. Combining the beauty of nature and the durability of composite flooring, this type of product would be worth the extra cost of the materials and the coating to keep it protected.
Dream Invention #2
A voice neutralizer that could make the parents of all learning to drive teenagers seem more calm in even the most stressful trips. When parents first teach their children how to drive many admit that they sometimes speak more harshly or loudly than they intended. In an attempt to seem both patient and calm, this sound tool could quiet the yells and and soften the harshness of even the most tense parents as they attempt to teach their newest drivers the skills that they need.
Dream Invention #2
A robot that can pick out your daily high school outfits. After scanning in the details of your current wardrobe, the robot will check the daily forecast and the schedule of the day and recommend the best clothing combination. With control features like “something I have not worn in the last month,” the robot can help you make better use of the clothes that fill your closet. Inventory features that keep track of suggested outfits that you frequently reject can also help you weed out unworn items the next time you clean out your closet.
Sometimes the Craziest of Ideas Can Have the Most Impact
While it might seem unlikely that an indestructible wood floor, voice neutralizer, and robotic wardrobe manager may ever become realities, if they ever were invented the creator would want to consult a patent attorney. And while these three ideas may seem a bit obscure, patent attorneys have helped gain legal ownership of stranger inventions. Even if an initial idea may seem like a stretch, it is necessary that inventors work to protect their early attempts at ground breaking ideas.
Imagine if you will how crazy people thought the Wright brothers were when they were spending months at a time at Kitty Hawk working on a flying machine. And imagine what people thought just a few decades ago when technology experts were predicting a hand held device that could help people connect with the entire world. What might seem crazy today could easily become commonplace tomorrow.
Patent attorney services, trademark attorney services, and intellectual property lawyers can all help both individuals and companies find out if the can or cannot file papers to protect their ideas. With the advancement of technology and the connectedness of all things, it is even more important that private individuals and small companies seek the best legal advice available. Patent attorneys, for instance, can be the difference between a great idea or product that makes the originator a lot of money and a great idea that is not properly protected and stolen by someone else.
Patent Applications Have Significantly Increased In the Last Two Decades
Between the years 1998 and 2010, the number of U.S. patent applications a year doubled to more than 520,000. More recently, the estimated 2.6 million 2013 applications filed worldwide represent growth of 9% in just one year. And while the number of patent applications has grown, it should not be surprising that the number of patent lawsuits has increased as well. In fact, in the last 20 years, the number of patent lawsuits has increased from an average of 500 a year to nearly 3,000 a year.
Patent applications and patent limits can be both complicated and varied. Consider some of these following statistics about patents and copyrights in America:
- A utility patent term begins on the application priority date and typically lasts 20 years.
- The design patent term begins the date the patent is granted and typically lasts 14 years.
- Copyright protection also has a limited term. For works created after January 1, 1978, a copyright lasts until 70 years after the death of the author.
- “Made for hire” works, which include the usual types of work owned by a small business, the copyright lasts for a term of 95 years. These “made for hire” terms begin the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first.