Turning the page....

This has been a year of drama, issues, and other various moments courtesy of Murphy's Law and other peoples karma catching me in the crosshairs.  My paperwork sits in an envelope on my desk at home, ready for the check to go in it and be mailed for my LLC.  My class schedule is right next to it, waiting for me to go over to PGCC and enroll.  The life map, which is tacked to my board at home, shows only 5 checkmarks, where the thing should have been halfway filled. 

I think it is time for me to start tweaking my 2012 calendar. I will not let the bullshit that has plagued me all this year follow me into the next. 

The Lazy Person Guide to Patents - Part Two

Part Two - Types of Applications and Filing Online

Now you have done your research, it is time to get your invention submitted. There are a few versions of a patent application that a person can file. They are as follows:

- Provisional

- Utility (also called Non-provisional)

- Design

All of the applications require the same items to be submitted. I will break them down for each section, along with the forms that are required to be filed along with the application. For additional information, you can visit the website at www.uspto.gov/patent/process/index.jsp . Here you will find a flowchart that will show you the various patents and the guide to filing that patent application. All forms are on the web site at www.uspto.gov/forms/index.jsp#patent

Provisional

Cost: $125

This application is the most basic of all applications that you can file. The documents that are required for a successful filing is below:

- Provisional Application Cover Sheet (form SB16)

- Specification (written description of your invention)

- Drawing (no photographs)

- Credit Card Authorization form (form PTO-2038)..PLEASE DO NOT FILE THIS FORM IF YOU ARE GOING TO FILE ONLINE!!!!

A provisional application gives the inventor patent pending status for one (1) calendar year. The office will not perform a search nor publish the application. To continue the patent pending status, the applicant will have to file a utility application.

Utility (Non-Provisional)

Cost: $530 online, $625 paper filing

This is the standard patent application. A patent search will be performed by the USPTO and examined for patent-ability by a examiner. The documents listed below is what you will need to file. The items in blue are what is required to file if you are filing via mail in paper form. Note that the fee is higher to file by paper.

- Utility Patent Application Transmittal (form SB05)

- Specification

- Claim (statement that claims what your invention can do)

- Abstract (150 word summary of the invention)

- Drawing (no photographs)

- Oath and Declaration of Invention (form SB01)

- Fee Transmittal (form SB17)

- Credit Card Authorization form (form PTO-2038)..PLEASE DO NOT FILE THIS FORM IF YOU ARE GOING TO FILE ONLINE!!!!

Design Application

Cost: $265

If you have designed an item, such as a building, then you will need to file a design application. This type of application protects how an item looks.

- Design Patent Application Transmittal (form SB18)

- Specification

- Claim (statement that claims what your invention can do)

- Drawing (no photographs)

- Oath and Declaration of Invention (form SB01)

- Fee Transmittal (form SB17)

- Credit Card Authorization form (form PTO-2038)..PLEASE DO NOT FILE THIS FORM IF YOU ARE GOING TO FILE ONLINE!!!!

Filing Online

You have typed up all of your documents and have saved them to you computer. If you want to file online, extra steps have to be done to your documents to ensure that they will be received properly. If you are not technically savvy, or you are not comfortable in maneuvering around your computer, just mail in your application.

1 - Convert them to PDF!

Don't say that I did not warn you! The online filing system, called EFS-Web, will only accept documents in PDF format. Now most of the forms will be in PDF format already, so you just need to make sure that they stay in that same formatting.

If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer, then you can install Cute PDF Writer. This is a free PDF converter that acts like a printer on your computer. You can download the software from www.cutepdf.com. Once the software is installed, open the document, go to File>Print, select either Adobe PDF or CutePDF from the printer list, then click OK. It will prompt you to rename the document. Once you click OK again, it will create a PDF rendering of your document.

2 - File Naming Convention is incorrect.

This is a very common error message. If you receive this error message, then the file name (the file name that you gave the document) has incorrect characters, such as a space separating the words. For example, if you name your file "my invention.pdf", then you will need to change it to my_invention.pdf. Simple, my dear Watson.

3 - Do the Math and Pay your Fees!

Please make sure that you calculate your fees properly. I would rather for you to call in to the Electronic Business Center and ask for help than to screw up on this screen. If you do not calculate your fees properly, the system will "assume" that you do not owe fees and once you submit your documents, you will not be advanced to pay fees online. If this occurs, then you will have to fax in the Credit Card Authorization form via fax before midnight THE SAME DAY as your filing.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not have 24 hours to pay your fees. Regardless of how you file, ALL FEES ARE DUE AT THE TIME OF FILING! Once 12:00:01 hits the next day, you owe a surcharge for not following directions.

The Lazy Person Guide to Patents - Part One

Hey there!

Told you that I was going to do a blog about patents :) First I am going to give you some rules of the road. Then I am going to tell you how to file your application properly. If you have a question, or is just unsure, just drop me a line. I will be glad to answer any and all your questions. If I don't have the answer, I will point you in the right direction.

First: Before attempting to do anything, ask yourself this question, what is a patent?

A Patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state (national government) to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention. This prevents third parties from taking the patent holder's intellectual property without permission and exploiting it for their own benefit during the period in which the patent is in effect.

Second: Perform a search on your patent to see if anything has been created. There are a few ways of doing a patent search. I will give you the easiest ways.

USPTO Full Text and Image Database

(patft.uspto.gov)

This will take you to the main online database at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. There you will have the option to search under issued patents or applications that are still in the process of being patented. Use distinctive keywords during your search to get the best result. (People have called into my office asking what is a keyword, or even asking me how to perform a search. If I have to tell you what a keyword is, then I will assume you have never done a research paper, or quite frankly, any paper where you had to write for English where notations are involved.). For those that looks at the screen and don't know what to do, use the second option.

Google Patents

www.google.com/patents

This website is more user friendly. When you go to the website, just type in what you are looking for. Google uses the same data base that is on the government's page, but it a neater view.

Note: The USPTO will not perform a search for you unless you have filed an application. So don't call to the USPTO and ask the agent to perform a search over the phone. Most agents will tell you to contact an attorney, who will be more than happy to perform a search for you - for a fee.

Once you have done you research, and have decided that you have a unique invention, then you can go to the next step, which is writing and submitting your patent to the United Patent and Trademark Office.

Holding the bag

I am sitting here copying and pasting messages to people for the past hour, informing them that the trip to Jamaica has been cancelled.  Why you ask? Because my 2 compadres don't want to do it.  Ironically, these 2have been the ones striking demonic deals to everyone, from discounted rooms to plane tickets.  I tried to keep a straight face in all of this, being as honest as I can with every one.  The only thing I'm officially guilty of is telling an incorrect price.  Now I feel even more responsible because I was ill-informed about every thing else that was happening.  If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have told these crazy people not to go into a contract that they could not handle.  As a side note, you simply cannot promise a free room and airplane tickets to everybody.

In my first official year of business, I am having a Murphy's Law kind of year.  EVERYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG, HAS WENT HORRIBLY WRONG!!!  From a botched wedding over a wedding dress, to a vacation that was cancelled due to lack of finances.  I have learned my lesson twice over, and I'm trying not to make the same mistakes for a third time.

Well now I am going into hiding, so I can sort a lot of things out.  If you would have asked me in January what my outlook was for this year, I would have simply said that it will be a good year.  Now, with the final quarter left in the year, it has went from sugar to shit.

trials and tribulations

I never knew that there were so many hateful, spiteful people in the world. This time in January, I was sitting on top off the world. I had reconnected with a childhood friend, I was filing the papers for my new company, and life was full of roses. Then the fire and brimstone comes and falls all around me. I am pulled into a world complete with lies, reputations thrown into the fire, and people simply alienate themselves. As much as I try to escape, and walk away from the entire scenario, I am getting deeper and deeper, like quicksand. I have started to become withdrawn, because I don't want my personal hell to be passed on to others. I know that this insertion doesnt sound like me, but I am not in my typical me space.

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Black Girls Are Easy: Are You Wifey Or Are You Pussy?

Black Girls Are Easy: Are You Wifey Or Are You Pussy?

this and that....

Damn its been a minute since I posted something. I really need to get back on the ball. Its my version of therapy.

A sister have been a little spazzed out lately. I was on a roll with my classes and got slapped with a failing grade on one of my test. Yeah, I was a little disturbed. Thankfully, I could retest and was able to pass the second time. Now I am sitting here telling myself to take a step back and take my time. Be patient. Things will fall into place soon enough.

Then that dreaded day came around. Yeah that day called Valentine's Day. I treated myself cause no offers came up to do it for me. So I had 1" thick angus steak, shrimp, and the works for my dinner. Fixed it myself, and enjoyed it fully. Even had Coldstone for dessert (mmmmm). I had a total of 6 people to send me V-day notes. One was different, however. He actually blasted on me, telling me I should have demanded from the closest men in my life, except for my son, to be catered to my every need because I deserved it. When I told them I hold no position in no one's life to warrant that, he simply said "cut those niggas. They don't even deserve your friendship much less anything else you give them. They don't even deserve the brain cell that you have given them. You deserve a hell of a lot more. You should be number one in their life instead of a number when they need you." It was stunning for the most part, but it was true. I deserved all of that. I thanked him for the insight, but I was emotionally raw from that 7 minute phone call. I could not dwell on that, not for long. I had to push on.

Now I'm back to the grind, forgetting about the issues that I have with my male species that I have to share Earth with. I'm looking forward to hosting an event with my HSS crew in March, seeing David Tutera in Charlotte, and of course my birthday. Right now I'm looking for anything with Chococat from Hello Kitty.