Patents R Us: Patent Referral Information and Services for Inventors and Patent Owners

Patent Agent and Patent Attorney Referral Service

No inventor should apply for a patent without the assistance of a patent prosecutor – a patent agent or patent attorney. Also known as a patent practitioner, a patent agent or patent attorney assists patent applicants through the entire patent application and approval process. Just as no one should go to court (except maybe for a traffic ticket) without an attorney, no inventor should attempt to secure a patent without the assistance of a patent professional such as a patent agent or patent attorney!

Patent Agents vs. Patent Attorneys: While the terms “patent prosecutor” and “patent practitioner” are synonymous, “patent agent” and “patent attorney” are not. Patent agents and patent attorneys can both help patent applicants prosecute their patent applications, but there is a significant difference between patent agents and patent attorneys.

Patent agents and patent attorneys are both registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office, and each will have a five-digit Patent Office Registration No. Both have met the requirements of the Patent Office, and both will have passed the Patent Bar Exam. The difference is that a Patent Agent is not an attorney-at-law, while a Patent Attorney is an attorney who can represent clients in court. That means that a patent attorney, in addition to meeting the Patent Office requirements and passing the Patent Bar Exam, is also a member of a state or DC bar association.

Engage a Patent Agent or a Patent Attorney? If you are simply applying for a patent, either a patent agent or a patent attorney can represent you before the Patent Office, so select the patent agent or patent attorney with whom you feel most comfortable, and the one who convinces you that he or she understands your invention. Most patent agents and patent attorneys specialize in a specific scientific or technological area such as electronics, mechanical engineering, biology or software. If, however, you need to be represented in court, you will definitely need a patent attorney.

Or…Will You Need a Patent Litigator? While a patent agent cannot represent you in a court of law, and a patent attorney can, that does not mean that a patent attorney is necessarily a patent litigator – that is, an attorney who tries cases in court. There are many types of attorneys who are NOT litigators. For example, many real estate attorneys specialize in closings and other real property transactions, but they do not represent clients in civil litigation. Filing a civil lawsuit and prosecuting that lawsuit is a separate and distinct skill set, and it is not an area in which every attorney has expertise. If you need to go to court – to sue a business that is infringing your patent, for example – you need a patent litigator.

How to Use Our Patent Agent - Patent Attorney and Patent Litigator Referral Services

• Want to File a Patent Application? If you need assistance filing an application for a patent, complete the form at the bottom of this page. The service is free. You will receive an e-mail with the names and contact information for patent agents and/or patent attorneys in your geographic area.

• Need to Sue Patent Infringer? If, however, you are facing a patent enforcement or patent infringement issue, you need a patent litigator, so you should use our free Patent Litigator Referral Service. The process is the same. Complete the on-line form, and you will receive an e-mail with the names and contact information of patent litigators and/or patent enforcement firms that can assist you.

• Want to Be Listed with Our Service? If you are a patent agent or patent attorney, and you want to be listed with our Patent Agent and Patent Attorney Referral Service, complete a Patent Agent - Patent Attorney Registration. There is no cost to be listed with our service.

Patent Agent – Patent Attorney Referral Request

Note: The Patent Agent – Patent Attorney Referral Service is free and offered as a public service. We do not guarantee the performance of the patent agents and patent attorneys we refer to users of this service. The same care should be taken in selecting a patent agent or patent attorney to represent you that would be taken in the selection of any other service provider.