Patenting your invention, idea or new process online is not as hard as it may sound. Indeed, the advent of the Internet has made the patent process much less irksome and also much more rapid. Thanks to cyberspace and the voluminous amounts of information available online, it’s now incredibly easy to research similar claims and patents to the your own, as well as to locate patent lawyers who can help you with the process. There are also several service websites where one can actually file their patent online, making it easier than ever before to secure a patent or at least get the process moving along.

When using an electronic patent service online, your first step will be to research your patent promise by determining if a similar patent already exists from some other individual. There are validity searches, infringement searches, licensing searches, patentability searches, assignee searches……some sites even offer an accelerated examination search to speed the process along thanks to the help of massive databases.

Next up, you must decide if you wish to solicit the help of a patent lawyer to advise you on aspects of the patent process that you do not understand, or about issues you have not taken into consideration. Like any career or job area, a patent lawyer will understand the intricacies and "red tape" that a new inventor can get into that the inventor him or herself may not have considered, or even had the experience to know exist! Online patent services usually have a wide selection of lawyers they are working with in specialty patent areas, and can refer you to one of these knowledgeable men or women.

Then there is the patent application itself, which is a complex legal document and again, new inventors are encouraged to seek the help of an experienced patent lawyer while preparing this document. There are three types of patents that may be applied for: a design patent, plant patent, or utility patent. Within the realm of the utility patent, there are two types – provisional and non-provisional.

Most patent service websites are designed to connect you to a patent attorney who can help you through the process. A search on the major search engines for patent services or online patent lawyers & services should help you get the ball rolling as you prepare to apply for your first patent and bring your new product or service into the world. Good luck to you!