Enforce Your Patent
Invention patenting doesn't guarantee that nobody will be able to steal your new product ideas. After obtaining an invention patent it's up to you to make sure that your invention patent is enforced. The government will not be looking out for products that copy yours. If you believe that another new product idea is based on your own, consult a lawyer for advice on how to proceed. You can also call the USPTO hotline at 1-866-999-HALT for information about protecting your patent rights.
Joint Patents
If you invented your new product idea with a partner or group, you can get a joint patent. The joint patent will list each inventor as the owner of the patent. If, on the other hand, one person in the group came up with the ideas for the invention and the others followed instructions, the person with the ideas should be listed as the sole inventor on the patent application. This person will own the patent individually.
See What Others Have Done
If you're interested in trying out invention patenting for yourself, try to look at several previously successful patent applications. Find patent applications that are in the same general area as your invention. Pay attention to how the application is put together, how the invention is described and what any accompanying drawings look like. By studying other applications, you'll make your own invention patenting process go more smoothly.
Pay Your Patent Fees
Expect to pay a lot of fees during the patent process. Fees are due when you apply for your new invention idea patent, when your patent is accepted, and to maintain your patent later on. Depending on the specifics of your new product ideas, you may have to pay additionaly fees as well.
To offset these fees you can look for sponsors or offer to split royalties with someone in exchange for funding.