Patent law is consistently misunderstood by inventors and
business people. This article outlines some of the most commonly
misunderstood patent concepts and the truth behind the
concepts.
This article is co-authored by
Jason Honeyman.
In most situations, a patent is the only way to deter a
competitor from taking and using a company's innovations.
However, there are many aspects of patent law that are
misunderstood by inventors and business people. Outlined below is a
list of some of the most commonly misunderstood patent
concepts.
1. A patent application is not enforceable until it issues as a
patent.
The phrase "patent pending" does not mean anything
beyond the fact that a patent application has been filed. Just
because someone has filed a patent application on something does
not necessarily mean that a patent ultimately will be granted.
