The Trusted Name (but don’t take our word for it) “In Nolo you can trust.” THE NEW YORK TIMES “Nolo is always there in a jam as the nation’s premier publisher of do-it-yourself legal books.” NEWSWEEK “Nolo publications . . . guide people simply through the how, when, where and why of the law.” THE WASHINGTON POST “[Nolo’s] . . . material is developed by experienced attorneys who have a knack for making complicated material accessible.” LIBRARY JOURNAL “When it comes to self-help legal stuff, nobody does a better job than Nolo . . .” USA TODAY “The most prominent U.S. publisher of self-help legal aids.” TIME MAGAZINE “Nolo is a pioneer in both consumer and business self-help books and software.” LOS ANGELES TIMES 16th edition Patent It Yourself Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office Patent Attorney David Pressman SIXTEENTH EDITION AUGUST 2012 Editor RICHARD STIM Cover Design SUSAN PUTNEY TERRI HEARSH Book Design Proofreading ROBERT WELLS Index JULIE SHAWVAN Printing BANG PRINTING International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) : 1554-9925 ISBN: 978-1-4133-1719-0 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-4133-1732-9 (epub ebook) Copyright © 1985, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012 by David Pressman. All rights reserved. The NOLO trademark is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the forms contained in this product when reproduced for personal use. For information on bulk purchases or corporate premium sales, please contact the Special Sales Department. Nolo, 950 Parker Street, Berkeley, California 94710. Please note We believe accurate, plain-English legal information should help you solve many of your own legal problems. But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from a knowledgeable lawyer. If you want the help of a trained professional—and we’ll always point out situations in which we think that’s a good idea— consult an attorney licensed to practice in your state. Acknowledgments My deep thanks go to my clients, and other inventors whose creativity and genius I so greatly admire and envy. My readers have given me much valuable feedback and suggestions, and I am grateful to them as well. I also thank the staff at Nolo, including Richard Stim, Steve Elias, Stephanie Harolde, and Ralph Warner for their ideas, contributions, and support, and, especially, Terri Hearsh for substantially improving the look and feel of the book. Finally, I thank my wife Roberta for her unflagging support and contributions. About the Author David Pressman is a member of the California and Patent and Trademark Office bars. He’s had over 45 years’ experience in the patent profession, as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent Office, a patent attorney for Philco-Ford Corp., Elco Corp., and Varian Associates, as a columnist for EDN Magazine and Entrepreneur.com, and as an instructor at San Francisco State University. He contributed the Patent, Trademark and Copyright entries to the World Book Encyclopedia. He’s also an inventor, with two patents issued. When not writing, dabbling in electronics, programming, inventing, or playing his trumpet, he practices as a patent lawyer in San Francisco. Originally from Philadelphia, he has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He spent his first year in law school at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his second and third years at George Washington University, where he served on the Law Review and received a Juris Doctor degree. He is also active in the general semantics and vegetarian movements. His mother, Mildred Phillips, was also a writer, having composed lyrics for numerous published songs, including Bill Haley’s “Mambo Rock.”