Patent Searches

[onlybass]

Would someone in the know provide a tutorial on using the search function on the U.S. Patent Office web site.Maybe you could use some of your patents as examples so that we can check that our results are accurate.

[rockhopper]

Would someone in the know provide a tutorial on using the search function on the U.S. Patent Office web site.Maybe you could use some of your patents as examples so that we can check that our results are accurate.

Patent searches are a little bit harder to teach than what can be put here, one thing , don't use the PTO site, there is a better "free" site to do the searches

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/search.html

I recomend you do "class" searches instead of "word" searches, as a word search only goes back to 1975, with a class search you end up haveing to view every patent prior to 75 in your class, but the reading will teach you a lot.

If you want a professional search done, I'm about a cheap as they come, but I only do one a week for people,, it takes me about 20 hours to do one right,, for the average new searcher it would take them about 300 hours to search one properly, and then they really don't know if the claims would shoot them down.

[onlybass]

Thanks for the info,I found the link quite eye-opening.If one is going to market a new item,or copy an existing item, you had better consult a patent attorney.It is obvious that a simple change or modification can warrant a patent and that can work two ways.Check out all of the patented jigs,hooks,spinnerbaits and soft plastic baits,they speak for themselves.The drawings were quite interesting.I was expecting professional dimensioned blue prints and found mostly rudimentary sketches.Somebody patented attaching a poison pill to a baitfish to remove predatory fish!Saw the Zoom patent for the cut paddle tail.Now I doubt that they invented it,but they got the patent,so all of you that have been slicing tails since Bassmaster published this trick had better stop.I have to wonder if at the USPO a common cry is "not another fishing lure-ughhh!"Or the probationary and disciplinary section is Lure Patents and most probably in the basement.This link has shown me that I can be an inventor too!I have come up with a one touch self hydrating organically fertilized flower pot.If your plants die you can easily flush them away,set down and contemplate why.I know Thomas Krapper invented a similiar item but his patent has expired and I have heavily modified mine to be mobile and this is an additional,novel use.Mounted in the bed of a Chevy is perfection!While testing my prototype I also invented "Maid Now" but I haven't figured out how to keep the potato chips from flying when the couch spring activates.My deluxe model will be "Dinner Now",remotely controlled to include turning off Oprah.