Patent Searching: An indispensable tool for inventors Patent Searching Made Easy explains how to assess the novelty of an idea and do patent searches at little or no cost, under the recently-adopted first-to-file rules. There's no sense paying thousands of dollars to file a patent application if someone else has beaten you to the Patent and Trademark Office. Now you can avoid expensive patent-searching fees with this step-by-step guide that explains the process, online and off. Patent Searching Made Easy, shows you how to to: quickly research any new idea to see whether anyone has already patented it come up with the best keywords to describe your invention and target your search classify your invention based on the U.S. Patent Classification System figure out whether your idea is new enough to qualify for a patent verify the patent status of ideas submitted to you (if you're a developer), and use the latest federal and international search-related resources.

Author Biography

David Hitchcock is a physicist and engineer who has worked as a computer consultant on such diverse projects as the MX missile, the Milstar satellite program, and advanced capability torpedoes. He has focused on patent searching and new technology for a number of years. Hitchcock is the inventor of the Home First Shield, a device to protect homes from wildfires.