Whether you have spent months engineering a product or were suddenly inspired with a great idea, the first step to realizing the potential of your invention is to protect it. The patent attorneys at Weiss & Moy, P.C. provide legal assistance to inventors at all stages of the patent process. Weiss & Moy, P.C. has patent law offices in Las Vegas, and Scottsdale/Phoenix that offer the following patent services:
Our U.S. registered Patent Attorneys and Agents have written thousands of patent applications over the past decades that span virtually all fields and industries which include: electronic cigarettes, kitchen utensils, childcare devices, household tools, sporting goods, medical devices, semiconductors, gaming apparatuses, e-commerce and internet methods, and software patents.
Learn more about the types of patents we assist with.
Since our founding in 1976, Weiss & Moy, P.C. has billed for its patent prosecution services on a flat-fee basis so that our clients know exactly how much it will cost to protect their inventions. While many lawyers bill for their services on a per-hour basis, Weiss & Moy, P.C. will provide you with a binding quote for our patent prosecution work at the beginning, so you can know your expected costs upfront. Our flat-fee billing structure allows you to budget for legal expenses in the same way you might budget for research and development, marketing, or other costs. For patent litigation, Weiss & Moy, P.C. offers low hourly rates for advising patent owners on whether or not to sue, prosecuting or defending civil litigation cases, and negotiating pre-litigation settlements.
A patent is a form of property and may be sold, licensed, or conveyed in much the same way as other types of property. A U.S. patent is also a legal monopoly, granted by the U.S. government, which allows the patent owner to prevent all others from making, using or selling their patented invention within the U.S. for a period of 20 years from the date of filing. Because the legal right to enforce your patent does not exist until your patent actually issues (which can take two to three years), most inventors are left with roughly 17-18 years of actual, enforceable patent protection.
In order for an invention to qualify for patent protection, it must be novel, non-obvious and provide utility. Generally, to be novel, the invention must not already be in use in the U.S. or be found in a printed publication anywhere in the world. To be non-obvious, the invention must not have been merely an obvious improvement over an existing invention in the eyes of a person of reasonable skill in the field, at the time the invention was made. And finally, to provide utility, the invention must be useful. Patent law is governed by federal law, not state law. Patents are issued by the USPTO. Foreign patents are issued in accordance with the patent laws of each individual sovereign country.
Without a valid U.S. Patent, anyone may make, use or sell another’s invention at will and without compensation to the original inventor.
The patent attorneys and patent agents at Weiss & Moy, P.C. in Arizona and Nevada prepare a patent application based upon a full disclosure of your invention. Our clients can disclose their invention in person at one of our three offices, or by phone, fax and/or email if an in-person meeting is not convenient. The inventor is not required to build a prototype. It typically takes us approximately 4-6 weeks to prepare a patent application. As the inventor, you will then have the opportunity to review the patent application and provide any necessary feedback in order to ensure that you are satisfied that we have accurately captured the spirit of your invention. After final approval of the patent application has been received by the inventor, the patent application is filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).