Patents Demystified: An Insider's Guide to Protecting Ideas and Inventions

Patents Demystified- A well written, organized, accessible, step by step guide to understanding and navigating any patenting terrain! Thank you, Dylan O. Adams! As good fortune would have it, Dylan’s book was recommended to me by a neighbor who had purchased the book and then subsequently hired Dylan for her patent work. At the time I was in the early stages of developing a product for the biking industry and my knowledge of patents was rudimentary- “ugh… patent good, must protect invention!” In retrospect, after having worked through the first major phase of the patenting process by filing both a provisional Utility Patent and a Design Patent, I can confidently say that without Patents Demystified as a companion reference by my side, it would have been a much more difficult, stressful, and expensive path taken. Each chapter leads like an experienced tour guide and shares information in an honest, practical, and non-uppity tone. Explanations for the novice, from the very basics of intellectual property to the value of patent protection, to step by step insights into the subtleties of each phase of the process serve to empower any inventor. With the knowledge gained I was able to confidently: -Evaluate my product’s potential for patenting using information learned about patent and prior art searching -See the true benefits for having patent protection for my invention -Talk with and interview potential patent attorneys, while standing on a level play field, by asking informed questions -Draft a thorough invention disclosure and create my own patent drawings -Understand the many intricacies, steps and timelines involved in the entire USPTO process -Work in partnership with a Patent attorney to keep my costs manageable. For me, the simple take away theme of Patents Demystified is to save everyone involved in the process (from the inventor to the patent attorney to the USPTO examiner, -and your significant other)—time, money and stress. Thanks again Dylan, for all the helpful tips! Kevin W. Hethcote Raven’s Trail LLC

I am very knowledgeable about the patent process, but find it difficult to explain. There are so many details to think about in patenting and commercializing an invention, it is easy to lose sight of the forest through the trees. I'm happy to finally have the perfect book to recommend to interested friends, colleagues, and others who want to pursue their great ideas. Dylan Adams does a great job explaining the high level strategies inventors and startups really need to be thinking about. There are many common pitfalls in the process that can lead to loss of rights, or a totally useless patent - full of defects, and impossible to enforce. I particularly enjoyed the sections on claim scope and claim drafting - comparing patent claims to real property parcel descriptions is a great analogy. The author's straightforward explanation of 102 and 103 rejections, how to chart them and argue them, is one of the best I have seen - he does a great job explaining some very difficult concepts. This is an easy read - not overloaded with a lot of legal or technical jargon. I highly recommend it!

Definitely the best book on patents and IP that I have read. Most patent guides are for attorneys or do-it-yourselfers, but this one teaches inventors and entrepreneurs how legitimate companies protect their ideas and inventions. Easy to read and understand unlike most others. It has great information about protecting yourself in the early stages and then walks the reader through how to select a patent attorney that best fits the invention and company. From there, it illustrates the complete patent process and shows how patents can be used to make a company more attractive to investors and customers. Lots of solid insider tips and tricks - learned tons of new stuff. This book stands out because it is written by a practicing patent attorney that actually works with both startups and emerging companies on a regular basis. You can tell he understands the issues that are specific to startups - most importantly that cost is an issue at initial stages, but that solid protection is still essential. Gives great examples of how to work within any budget without sacrificing patent protection. Interesting stories and antidotes really make this book accessible and readable.

Dylan's book is the single best resource I've read on patents. I was looking for a work that I could share with client inventors to give them a base of understanding on patents, as well as pragmatic nuggets to help them advance their strategic thinking on invention disclosure. This book does that, and much, much more. It starts with a digestible and pithy explanation of the different forms of intellectual property (IP), but even more so breaks down the pros and cons between them and, importantly, underscores the shortcomings of each (whether copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or patents) and best ways to overcome those shortcomings. There is much to lose if you errantly rely on a form of IP protection that doesn't apply (namely your ability to adequately protect your investment). This problem can be particularly fatal and irreversible if you fail to follow the rules governing patents. 2 recurring themes the author emphasizes throughout the book are (1) the need for extreme focus and caution around triggering the disclosure of your invention (which can lead to foreclosure of patent rights if you fail to meet filing deadlines) and (2) the importance of seeking qualified counsel on critical items like preparation of the patent application, to avoid waiver - partial or full - of your rights. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who works in the field of IP or in an innovation-centered discipline. It's a great resource - chock full of pragmatic guidelines and insights - for folks of all experience and knowledge levels.

Unlike the typical general information you can get everywhere for free I was hoping for an extensive demystification of Patents themselves. Unfortunately there is a lot of unnecessary general information offered, but most of all the author constantly tells the reader why it is important to take an attorney. It is advertisement almost non-stop. The author butters up the reader, but only rarely gives insight to how things are really. Instead the author once more talks about why you should take an attorney. And yet again one page after that. I know good literature in this field is scarce, but still there is a lot of beating around the bush. A good patent is a good patent. And there are reasons for it. I was hoping the author would talk more about those reason in depth. Regardless of whether the patent is written by an attorney, a patent agent, the inventor or by anybody else.

As a creative person by nature I'm never short of ideas. I've had many I wish had pursued but found intellectual property daunting then this year I decided to take a job for a company that works with intellectual property assets including patent filings and trademarks. So what, right? Intellectual property is a huge subject area dominated by legalese, subject matter experts and many terms which mean nothing without context. In short it's complex and open to traps if you're not careful. Dylan has done a fantastic job of taking these complex IP processes, best practices and put them in plain English for the next generation of creatives and idea generators. He explains the intricacies of things like "freedom to operate", DIY patent registration (and things to watch out for). And for me personally needing to understand a breadth of IP processses this book has now laid the foundations for me to converse at a level where I can learn more through discussion without being put off. If you have an idea, and you find IP a bit overwhelming I encourage you to read this book to build your confidence and get started. I promise it will help you!

Mr. Adams book is a treasure trove of information. My own copy has numerous yellow stickies to attest to that. If you are contemplating a patent or in the midst of one, the information in this book will be very helpful and will help you avoid costly mistakes. Thank you Dylan. I am a patent holder. Jacques Chaurette President Elliptica Innovations, Montreal, Canada

Buy this book if you want to protect your idea(s) and be attractive to investors.

Having a book like this in a digital format makes a big difference, as you can save notes and search the text quickly and easily. That this book is only available in print adds an enormous amount of time to the note-taking process.