Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office

by David E. Blau Attorney

Overview

For over 35 years, Patent It Yourself has guided hundreds of thousands of inventors through the process of getting a patent, from start to finish. Patent attorneys David Pressman and David E. Blau provide the latest information, forms, and clear instructions to help you:

• conduct a patent search the right way
• evaluate your idea’s commercial potential
• file a provisional patent application to get “patent pending” status
• prepare a patent application
• focus on your patent application’s claims
• respond to patent examiners
• get your drawings done right
• protect your rights in foreign countries
• deal with infringers, and
• market and license your invention.

The 22nd edition covers recent major changes at the USPTO, including the Patent Public Search and Patent Central system for applications.Patent It Yourself is the only patent book a DIY inventor needs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781413332681
Publisher:	NOLO
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Edition description:	Twenty two Edition
Pages:	592
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

David E. Blau is a patent attorney at Daly, Crowley, Mofford & Durkee in Canton, Massachusetts, and is a member of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Massachusetts bars. He received his B.S. from the California Institute of Technology, with majors in both Mathematics and Engineering & Applied Science. Prior to law school, he worked for the government as a mathematician, for a number of private companies writing software to perform scalable content storage and distribution and back-office online commerce functions, and co-founded a web design business. He received his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law with a certificate in Intellectual Property, and has practiced patent law in the Boston area ever since. Outside the practice of law, Dave is a scuba diver and a licensed private pilot who hopes to get his instrument rating someday.

Table of Contents

How to Use Patent It Yourself 1. Introduction to Patents and Other Intellectual Property 2. The Science and Magic of Inventing 3. Documentation and the PPA 4. Will Your Invention Sell 5. Is It Patentable 6. Search and You May Find 7. What Should I Do Next 8. How to Draft the Specification and Initial Drawings 9. Now for the Legalese—The Claims 10. Finaling and Mailing Your Application 11. How to Market Your Invention 12. Going Abroad 13. Getting the PTO to Deliver 14. Your Application Can Have Children 15. After Your Patent Issues: Use, Maintenance, and Infringement 16. Ownership, Assignment, and Licensing of Inventions Appendixes 1. Abbreviations Used in Patent It Yourself 2. Resources: Government Publications, Patent Websites, and Books of Use and Interest 3. Glossaries 4. Fee Schedule 5. Mail, Telephone, Fax, and Email Communications With the PTO 6. Quick-Reference Timing Chart 7. Forms 8. Forms Available at the PTO Website Index

Editorial Reviews

"Patenting an idea can be really expensive and intimidating. When I was starting out, I read this terrific book called Patent It Yourself, by a lawyer named David Pressman. It was really straightforward. Using that book, I wrote GoPro’s first patent myself. It was this 600-page tome that I went maniacal on. When I took it to the attorneys to get their opinion and to see how much it would cost for them to finalize it, they told me I’d just saved myself a lot of money—I’d basically done the whole thing myself. More important, the book gave me a good understanding of what’s patentable and what’s not. For any entrepreneur who’s inventing something, it’s the one book you should read." Bloomberg Business Week - Ask a Billionaire: GoPro's Nick Woodman on the Book 'Patent It Yourself'

"Now in a fully updated and significantly revised edition, "Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office" continues to be a complete course of instruction from start to finish, guiding inventors and entrepreneurs through the process of getting a patent. Patent attorneys David Pressman and David E. Blau draw upon their impressive expertise to provide the latest information, forms, and clear instructions to: Conduct a patent search the right way; Evaluate an idea's commercial potential; File a provisional patent application to get "patent pending" status; Prepare a patent application; Focus on the patent application's claims; Respond to patent examiners; Get drawings done right; Protect rights in foreign countries; Deal with infringers; Market and license an invention. This edition covers all the latest implications of the first-to-file rules created by the congressional America Invents Act. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted that "Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office" is also available in a digital book format". The Midwest Book Review

"If you want to cut through the patent red tape and possibly save thousands of dollars, Patent It Yourself... has all the forms and instructions needed to patent a product in the United States." The Washington Post

“Contains all necessary forms and instructions plus advice on marketing your invention.” Money

From the Publisher