A patent is a legal document that grants the owner the “exclusive right to prevent others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the patented invention” for a limited period of time (Cornell Legal Information). All patents are filed federally, regardless of locality, governed under Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States, which reads: "Congress shall have power...to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries" (USPTO).

A patent protects your work from being used, manufactured, or sold by anyone other than yourself. If you want to protect your investments of time, mental exertion, and skills, you need a patent. This is your hard-earned intellectual property, protect it.

When filing patents, time is of the essence, which means you need an active and attentive attorney. That’s why you want to work with a small-business patent attorney – they have the time and expertise to ensure your application is ready to file and will work hard to help you protect your intellectual property.