administrative law

If you're thinking of filing a patent, David Pressman's Patent It Yourself is an absolute must! The patenting process is fraught with legal pitfalls that can trap even the savvyest, most experienced inventor. This book translates all of the complex, circuitous legalese that lawyers use to make law inaccessible into plain english. Chock-full with diagrams, step-by-step instructions, and tear-out forms, Patent It Yourself is a one-stop guide to patent success.
I have no legal backround and have successfully filed four patents with this book, saving thousands of dollars in lawyers fees. If you're thinking of hiring a lawyer, think again! The average lawyer charges upwards of $5,000 per patent! Why pay all that money when you can buy a book and do it yourself for only $50? From evaluating how well your idea will sell, to preparing the actual application, to understanding international patent protection laws this book covers all of the bases. Pressman has over 40 years of experience as both a patent attorney and a patent examiner and it really shows! Buy this book, it won't let you down!

I have used Pressman's Patent It Yourself since the late 80s to file and process 18 patents, and have saved myself and my business partner (a lot of money) in legal fees. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Pressman is not just knowledgeable, he is a master teacher, imparting information with consumate pedagogic skill. He makes learning of complex legal issues as easy as one can imagine. His prose is often humorous and entertaining as well.

One recommendation: If you use this book to write your first patent filing, let a patent lawyer review the filing before you submit. This shouldn't cost you more than an hour or two in attorney fees and from my experience can enhance your submission and improve its chances for allowance significantly. I did this for my first several submissions and learned something each time. Eventually there was little the attorney could offer, and I then ceased the practice.

Wish I could give 6 stars for this remarkable book.

One area where I see this book being extremely helpful is in understanding what an attorney needs from the inventor. With a new inventor it can take forever to get the right language to put into an application. If you've read this book though you have a clearer understanding that the whole idea is taking technical language and creating a legal document. If you know the specifics and the structure of the application, preparing yourself to be most efficient with your attorney time is a great way to save on attorney bills the smart way. Having the examples ready, knowing what drawings might be required and understanding what others have already done is nothing but helpful in the process.

That being said, the intellectual property world has many twists and turns through the process that really only someone with experiences can accurately assess. The slightest mistake in a fork in the road can mean the difference between success and failure, spending a fortune or losing it. So although this book really is excellent (spoken from experience) it cannot replace good counsel. Filing patent applications and engaging in the process of prosecuting them can be expensive anyway, with or without a lawyer. For many steps in the process having a lawyer can save you money by steering you away from expensive, unnesessary searches. Once you have a patent it doesn't mean you're free and clear to market your invention either. Licensing and cross licensing can be tricky. International circles of intellectual property law have even more hidden quagmires to circumnavigate. Many lawyers are so highly specialized that negotiating license agreements is all they do. Royalty structures can be complicated and only experience can provide the most comprehensive contracts. Having an attorney provides great leverage just in presence as well. They know how to ask the right questions and for the most part won't waste alot of time. So bottom line is this helps immensely in making the process smoother and more efficient but don't fire your lawyer if you want to be sure you make the most of whatever you created.

Most highly recommended, this new edition has important, substantive additions that reflect changes in the law.