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Summary: Excellent "how to" reference for independent inventors
Review: "Patent It Yourself" is an excellent reference for anyone who has invented something and is considering getting a patent. Complete with forms and examples, it enables anyone who wants to undertake the task to draft and file their own patent application. Even if you read the book and decide the process is more complicated than you are ready for, it will make you a more informed client for your patent agent or patent attorney, and help you avoid getting poor service. This book has helped many of my patent clients know what questions to ask.
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Summary: Detailed, step-by-step instructions for filing a patent
Review: "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.
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Summary: Complete & detailed yet readable to the lay person.
Review: A patent bible for anyone interested in this area. It's not dry! A down to earth well written text that provides "do's" and "don't" throughout. I recommend it to the novice or advanced professional
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Summary: Exceptional!
Review: An exceptional guide-book for the inventor-entrepreneur. From epiphany to prototype to royalties, this book tells you how to keep yourself safe and maximize your chances to sell-thru to your target market.
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Summary: Only for gaining a better understanding. Don't self-file.
Review: As another reviewer of this book aptly pointed out, the downside to making a mistake on this most complex part of the law (patent law) is too high. Hence it may be better to use this book for becoming an informed person and let the experts (lawyers) take care of ensuring that there are no holes in the application filed. Personally, it has given me the minimum understanding of patents that I need as a business person to know what I need to patent, when to patent it, how to patent it, and the advantages/disadvantages of patenting. There are also ways to save on legal costs by doing some of the obvious research yourself. My favorite chapter in this book is Chapter 5: What is Patentable? It outlines and explains the four requirements of patentability - The statutory classes, utility, novelty, and unobviousness. There is also an accompanying flowchart that you can use to guess whether your patent application will be approved. I found the first three chapters of this thick book to be most informative for my purposes. The first chapter contains an introduction to patents and other intellectual property (like trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, etc.). The second chapter explains what an invention really is. The third chapter is all about documentation (needed to prove invention). The book does contain tear out forms you can use to do your own filing but as mentioned above, I wouldn't do it as I prefer relying on a lawyer to do it right. Overall, this is the best book I found on patents. Nolo guides are known for their plain English explanation of the law. This guide is no exception. I haven't regretted buying this book even though it's a bit on the pricey side because of the value it provides. Good luck!
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Summary: Current upbeat edition to get Joe Smo a Patent
Review: Because of your ability to search with such finality and exactness and breath of search, an equivalent net based or the like is needed to get the thing in. Pressman has been doing the job for a long time-my addition is '91-and has helped many; his 7th is great but is already out of date. Thanks to his efforts and the USPTO new full text patents and now images and Georgia Tech with their fine facility and terminals, I have gone from a provisional to a regular. Many thanks Roger.
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Summary: Recommended by the U.S. Patent Office!
Review: Here's the state-of-the-art guide to patenting an invention-recommended daily by patent attorneys, inventors, librarians, journalists and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Written by patent attorney and former patent examiner David Pressman, this bestseller takes you step-by-step through the entire process-from conducting a patent search to filing a successful application. It covers documenting the invention process, successful marketing strategies, foreign patent rights, licensing issues and infringement. Includes information on the Provisional Patent Application process and covers important changes brought about by GATT. Provides all the necessary forms and instructions. "Every step of the patent process is presented in order in this gem of a book, complete with official forms...." -San Francisco Chronicle " ... contains all necessary forms and instructions plus advice on marketing your invention." -Money Magazine "If you want to cut through the patent red tape and possible save thousands of dollars, Patent It Yourself thoroughly explains the patent process and copyright laws and has all the forms and instructions needed to patent a product in the United States." -The Washington Post "The book presents complicated procedures in easily digested chunks, with anecdotes, forms and plenty of old-fashioned good advice." -The Denver Post "Patent It Yourself is a top-notch reference for patent and trademark information." -San Francisco Examiner
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Summary: A great resource -- just what the title says
Review: I am the inventor of four patents filed by patent attorneys. Because they are non-mechanical, the patent attorneys never quite understood what was being patented. With this book, I just completed filing my own patent. And, I believe, with the help of the book this application is the best yet. I just received notice of acceptance for filing.
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Summary: Great Do-it-yourself Manual
Review: 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.
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Summary: Worth 6 stars
Review: 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.
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