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Region makes way for latest batch of snow; cancellations rise
Council OKs grant to bring jobs to Green
Welcome to Akron's 'new' neighborhood
Falls approves sale of former plaza site
Road crews making room for more snow
Group recommends merging Akron, Summit County health agencies
Jewell Cardwell: LeBron fans cooking up fundraiser
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Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Complaints against officer keep coming
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Region makes way for latest batch of snow; cancellations rise
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Five local gridders to play in Big33
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Prove you were first. Prepare a one-page nondisclosure agreement
By Krishna Baranwal
Special to the Beacon Journal
Published on Monday, May 12, 2008
First, start a diary/journal in a bound notebook. Include the date of the invention (when the idea was initially conceived) and a description. This is important in connection with filing for a patent in the future as the United States is a ''First-to-Invent'' country. Keep the journal updated as you develop prototypes, make modifications, etc.
Second, prepare a one-page nondisclosure agreement. If you want to tell anyone (relatives, friends, plant personnel, others), the receiver of the information should sign the agreement and keep the invention confidential. This way, you keep your idea protected and have a record of when and to whom the information was disclosed.
But how do you know whether the invention/idea is worth pursuing further and spending time and money in the process? The least expensive step is to run a patent search. This can be done by using Internet access to the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) database at http://www.uspto.gov. Your objective is to find out whether your invention has already been patented.
The Science and Technology Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library offers seminars on patent searching.
Call 330-643-9075 for information. The library does not do patent searches.
Another option is to get a patent search done, on a charge basis, by a professional patent attorney.
A market search also might be helpful in determining if such an invention product or process exists or has potential in the marketplace. If it does, the market search might provide information on the potential advantages of your invention over the existing one (better performance, lower costs, easier operation, etc.).
The final step in protecting your idea is to file a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A patent attorney can be helpful. For information, go to the USPTO Web site or call 800-786-9199.
Dr. Krishna C. Baranwal, an Akron SCORE counselor, is the former executive vice president of the Akron Rubber Development Lab. If you would like more information on this or other business-related subjects, contact Akron SCORE via the Internet at http://akronscore.org or by calling 330-379-3163. Services are free and confidential. SCORE is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Get the full article here.
