“Do I need a lawyer?”
It’s a question we hear all the time from people who have an idea and think it’s good enough to turn into a marketable product. Having worked in the innovation industry for some time, the best advice we can give is: Before you share your idea with anyone, get guidance from an attorney specializing in intellectual property or a patent services firm, like Lonestar Patent Services.
Only these professionals who work in the intellectual property (IP) industry can properly advise you on your next step to get your idea well protected under state and federal laws. By doing so, your idea remains your own and cannot be stolen or replicated by others.
How to Find a Good Intellectual Property Lawyer
Choosing the best intellectual property attorney for your idea takes a bit of time and research. You want to make sure you select a professional who has experience in the area that covers your idea. Because it’s such a specialized area, you also want a lawyer who has experience with all intellectual property protection, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, licenses, etc., so all your bases are covered in one place.
Here are some tips to consider when conducting your IP attorney search:
- Know your market. This will help you determine the competition you will face from other patent holders in the same arena as your idea. If your idea idea falls into a very active category, it’s going to require a greater effort to protect it. As such, you’ll need a lawyer with a great free patent search of experience and credentials in the area.
- Search reliable online attorney directory sites to find recommendations based on your specific needs and geographic location. Put together a list of your top five choices and do a general search of these IP lawyers to gain more information about their workload, reputation, how they present themselves in the press, and if they are members of key industry groups, such as the American Intellectual Property Law Association, etc. Also, check with your state’s bar association to ensure the attorney is in good standing.
- Contact the law office to see if new clients are being accepted. If so, schedule a consultation or preliminary interview. This gives you the opportunity to see if the two of you are a good fit, both from a professional and personality standpoint.
- Prepare a list of questions for your preliminary meeting. Ask about the process, how long it would take, the types of intellectual property the law office has filed, the cost, any conflicts of interest and whether the attorney represents others that compete or intersect with your business. Before leaving, ask for references and a copy of the retainer agreement.
Save Time With a Patent Services Firms
If you don’t have the time or desire to search for an intellectual property law firm yourself, you can turn to patent services firms. They already have the best intellectual property lawyers on staff who specialize in all types of IP matters.
Here at Lonestar Patent Services, we employ the services of the top U.S. registered patent attorneys to represent you. So we’ve done all the legwork for you in searching for the best IP lawyer.
We also have the legal support to handle your patent licensing, direct buyout agreement and royalty rates as your product is prepared to be manufactured and marketed to interested buyers.
All you need to do is get in touch with us and we’ll show you how easy it is to get your product idea from concept to an actual product ready for retail.
