How to find a GOOD patent attorney

[poindextr]

I have developed a manufacturing process that I need to patent. I am in Atlanta, so if you can recommend a good local patent attorney it would be greatly appreciated. If referrals are discouraged in this forum then I apologize for breaching the code of conduct.

Referral or not, I would appreciate the insights of others on efficient ways to find, evaluate and select a patent attorney.

 

[zdas04]

In my experience looking for "local" is a huge mistake. The only way that I have seen success in this field is selecting a Patent attorney because of a recommendation from someone in your field.

I got a local guy in Denver when I lived there and he had no experience in Oil & Gas. I had no experience with the patent process (now that I have 3 patents and have served as an expert witness in a patent case I can see how bad that combination is, the application was actually incompetent). Next time around I got an Oil & Gas guy from Houston based on a recommendation and the result was so much better (and the patent was granted). Next time I got an Oil & Gas guy with a Petroleum Engineering undergraduate degree and some actual industry experience from Tulsa based on a couple of recommendations and both patents were granted.

I would find someone in your field that has successfully patented something and ask what they thought of their attorney. If they loved him/her, then talk to the attorney and make sure they are someone you can communicate with (I did this over the phone and it worked out well, face-to-face might have been better). If they have a relevant engineering degree then you can have some confidence that you will be able to communicate with them. If they have ever worked as an engineer they probably won't let you toss away money on a patent application that is either: (A) unlikely to be granted; or (B) unlikely to ever become a commercial product (I heard the other day that over 90% of patents never result in making any money at all). My first patent will never make a dime (the company that owns the patent filed it so that they could use the technology without worrying about someone else's patent blocking their use, so it was a success). My second patent is 2 years old and has returned 3X on the development cost and patent cost(I've paid over $30k to that patent attorney). I'm way ahead of the curve here.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[JohnRBaker]

That would be Peter Lowell Olson (if I recalled correctly, he lives in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area).

The reason I bring up Mr. Olson's name is because he must be a heckofa patent attorney as he managed to get a patent, in the name of his son, for a way to swing sideways on a swing.

If you don't believe me, it is patent #6,368,227 issued on April 9, 2002. And if you'd like to see the actual patent doucment, here's the link to the US Patent Office's website and the patent:

http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNu...8,227.PN.%26OS=PN/6,368,227%26RS=PN/6,368,227

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[Compositepro]

Do a preliminary patent search in the field of your invention and you can see examples of of lawyers work product. Contact attorneys that you think do a good job, or at least do work in your field.

I like

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/login.html

for searches.

 

[btrueblood]

John,

You did see that the patent was re-examined 1 month after issue with the result that "Claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 are cancelled." (i.e. the patent now has no valid claims).

 

[zdas04]

Mr. Olson would not be someone that I chose for a patent I was serious about. To carry forward fatuous nonsense (even to prove a point) is to further the proliferation of worthless, non-enforceable patents. The USPO's pattern of approving garbage is affecting my ability to get my GasBuster patent recognized internationally. Each country that I've applied to has said "US patents do not carry much weight, we will have to examine your prior art ourselves" and it takes years to make it through their queue.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[JohnRBaker]

Yes, I'm aware that the claims made in Mr Olson's patent were all challenged, but it's still listed on the US Patent roll, which at least gives me confidence that my two patents will also remain on the rolls in perpetuity ;-)

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.