Sunday, January 17, 2010

How To Identify A Competent Patents Lawyers

By David Martin

While in several other fields legal recourse is required only after disputes crop up, a patent lawyer is useful from the time you start thinking about filing for a patent. The primary duties of a patent lawyer are to assist clients obtain patents, recommend measures to secure the patents and if needed, defend the right of the patent in case of a misuse.

The patent application and registration process is generally a very time consuming and arduous one. That is why the need of a patents lawyer is felt so much. However, you should ensure that you are engaging a competent person, who has in depth knowledge of not only the patent laws but also of the subject of invention. For instance, a lawyer who hails from a field like software, may not be very knowledgeable about the patenting needs for pharmaceutical products.

The second aspect that an inventor has to take into account while hiring a patent lawyer is his track record of accomplishments and failures with earlier patents. If you can gather information about how many patents that have been granted to clients of the lawyer then you will have a sufficient idea of his capabilities. This exercise will tell you how good or diligent the lawyer is and this can determine the success of your own patent application as only a good patent lawyer can well ensure the uniqueness of your invention in the industry.

Of the number of upcoming lawyers in the industry who work with patents, it should be a simple job to find one who is competent enough to deal with your needs and whose services are not too expensive.

You should also ensure that you do not keep alternating between lawyers too often unless there are serious difficulties because in case of any legal problems that might emerge in future due to an infringement, working with the same lawyer who knows the entire history of your patent application will help immensely in pursuing your case.

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