Guides Index

Patent Guides

Practical, USPTO-cited guides to patenting your invention — plus deep dives into the strangest, most valuable, and most historically significant patents on record.

Patent strategy

How to Patent an IdeaThe complete inventor's roadmap: from documenting your idea to filing a provisional application, conducting a …
How to Patent an App IdeaWhy most app ideas aren't directly patentable, what *is* patentable (the technical architecture, novel algorit…
Cost to Patent an IdeaProvisional ($65 micro / $130 small / $325 large) through full utility issue ($1,200+). Plus attorney costs by…
Provisional vs Utility PatentThe 12-month priority window, why startups file provisional first, when a non-provisional makes sense from day…

Patent trivia & history

Weirdest PatentsCurated catalog of legally-granted absurdities: the dad saddle, the motorized ice cream cone, the chocolate te…
Famously Rejected PatentsStudying rejections teaches more than studying grants. Common reasons: prior art, indefiniteness, abstract-ide…
Most Valuable PatentsBell US 174,465. Edison's lightbulb US 223,898. Google's PageRank US 6,285,999. Each entry shows the patent cl…
Celebrity PatentsHedy Lamarr (frequency hopping, US 2,292,387). Marlon Brando (drumhead tensioning device). Michael Jackson (an…
History of Patent LawPatent Act of 1790. Patent Office established 1836. Plant Patent Act 1930. America Invents Act 2011 — first-to…
Famous Patented ProductsVelcro US 2,717,437. Post-it US 5,194,299. Spanx US D429,386. Each entry shows the patent number, filing date,…
Black Inventors and Their PatentsLewis Latimer (carbon filament US 252,386). Garrett Morgan (traffic signal US 1,475,024). Sarah Boone (ironing…
Pet Product PatentsKong toy US 4,802,444. Litter Robot US 6,082,302. Furminator US 7,077,076. Each entry shows the live USPTO rec…
Kitchen Gadget PatentsTupperware US 2,487,400. Pyrex US 1,304,623. K-Cup US 5,325,765. Each entry shows the live USPTO record and th…