Research Guides: Entrepreneurship: Patent Basics

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Helpful USPTO Webpages

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency responsible for granting U.S. patents.

Patent basics
An overview of the patent lifecycle and links to key resources for learning about patents, understanding the process, preparing to file a patent application, and what to do after a patent is granted.
Patent process overview
An overview of a patent application and maintenance process.
Types of patent applications and proceedings
Information about design, plant, and utility patent applications, as well as provisional patent applications.
Patent FAQs
Answers to a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions about patents.

UCI Patent Resources

UCOP: Intellectual Property
The University of California Office of the President’s intellectual property policy guidance on the technology transfer efforts of the 10 UC campuses.
UCOP: Guide to Intellectual Property as a Student at the University of California
As a student at the University of California (UC), you have an opportunity to make original creations, inventions, and discoveries as part of your activities both within and outside of classes. This guide will help you learn about these forms of intellectual property (IP) and how to protect and develop them.
UCI Research Translation Group (RTG)
A vast portfolio of UCI inventions, resulting from the university’s world-class research, that are available for licensing to industry and startups. Managed by UCI Beall Applied Innovation.

Learn About Patents

Nolo's Patents for Beginners by David Pressman; Richard Stim
This primer is packed with everything inventors need to know about patent law basics, including: current patent regulations, filing rules, and caselaw resulting from the America Invents Act, the most important change to American patent law in two centuries. Helps inventors: document an invention, "read and write" patents, understand how and why to make a patent search, determine patent ownership, acquire patent rights, understand the basics of patent infringement, get international patent protection, and decide whether to file a provisional patent. [eBook]
Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office by David Pressman; David E. Blau
Provides 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. [eBook]
Patent Law Essentials: A Concise Guide by Alan L. Durham
Through clear writing, specific examples, and focus on the fundamentals, Patent Law Essentials: A Concise Guide makes the basic rules of patent law accessible to businesspeople, engineers, students, and others who need to understand the rules of a notoriously complicated game. [eBook]
How to Invent and Protect Your Invention: A Guide to Patents for Scientists and Engineers by Joseph P. Kennedy; Wayne H. Watkins; Elyse N. Ball
A straightforward guide to inventing, patenting, and technology commercialization. Provides a clear, jargon-free, and comprehensive overview of the patenting process tailored specifically to the needs of scientists and engineers. [eBook]
Patent Analytics: Transforming IP Strategy into Intelligence by Jieun Kim; Buyong Jeong; Daejung Kim
Provides a practical guide to introduce and apply patent network analytics and visualization tools in your business. Incorporates case studies from renowned companies such as Apple, Dyson, Adobe, Bose, Samsung and more, to scrutinize how their underlying values of patent network drive innovation in their business. [eBook]

Patents Presentation

Want to learn more about patents and the patent process?
Check out the slide deck from IP Strategy is a Business Strategy, a presentation given by Steve Koziol, Assistant Regional Director, Silicon Valley USPTO at UC Irvine on January 17, 2020.