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Intellectual Property for MAE 480 (WVU Tech): Patents

Created for Professor Zabihian's class as part of the ILCEP grant

Useful Links

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office  http://www.uspto.gov

USPTO Search Page https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/static/pages/landing.html

USPTO Classification Page http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/

European Patent Office Search Page http://worldwide.espacenet.com/

3 Types of Patents

3 Types of Patents

Utility--an new, useful, and nonobvious process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. 

             See http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/types/utility.jsp

Design--a new, orginial, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. 

               See http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/iip/pdf/brochure_05.pdf

Plant--an asexually reproduced distinct and new variety of plant.

               See http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/plant/

Definition

Of the 4 main types of Intellectual Property Protection, Copyright, Trademark, Trade Secret, and Patent, Patent is introduced here.

A Patent is a property right granted by the Government of the United States of America to an inventor "to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throught the United states or importing the invention intor the United States" for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

Powerpoints

Searching Patent Videos

Assignment for MAE 480

*Find the Classification(s) for your invention either using CPC or USPC
*Find at least two patents related to your invention
*Post your results on eCampus 
*Answer the following questions
  • Is this an Patent Application or granted Patent
  • Why is your invention an improvement to  these patents?
  • How could you integrate these technologies into your invention without violating patent law?

Citing Patents

Citations for patents vary depending on the format:

MLA Citation:

Jobs, Steve, et al. "Highly portable media device." Patent 7,889,497. 15 February 2011.

APA Citation:

Jobs, S., et al. (2011).  U.S. Patent No. 7,880,497. Washington, DC: U.S.

ACS Citation:

Jobs, S., et al. Highly portable media device.  U.S. Patent 7,889,497, 2011.

CSE Citation:

Jobs, S, et al, inventor; 2011 Feb. 15. Highly portable media device. United States patent US 7,889,497.

See also:  http://www.patent-search-information.com/how-to-cite-patent.html

Criteria for Obtaining a Patent

4 Criteria are

  1. Novelty (New)
  2. Useful (Utility)
  3. Unobviousness
  4. Statutory Class (process or method, machine, article of manufacture, composition of matter, or a new or useful improvement thereof.)

Terms of Patents

The terms of utility and plant patents are 20 years from application date.

The term of design patents is 14 years from date of issue.

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