Patent Attorney

Protects inventions by filing and defending patents — a mix of law and technical expertise.

Did you know?

Frederick Graff is said to have patented the fire hydrant in 1801, but no one can check: the patent records burned in the 1836 US Patent Office fire.

Law: Argue that an invention is truly new so no one else can copy it for years.
Engineering: Understand exactly how an invention works so you can describe what makes it different.
Literature: Write patent claims in precise words that leave no loopholes for copycats.
Logic: Build step by step arguments showing that a rival product copies your client's idea.

Chester Carlson: Worked as a patent attorney and invented xerography, the technology behind photocopiers, in 1938.

List three small annoying problems at home, such as socks going missing or cables tangling, and pick one.
Sketch an invention that solves it. Number each part and add a label with an arrow.
Underneath, write a short description: what it is for, what each numbered part is and how they work together.
Check it against the patent tests: is it new, is it useful, and would it not be obvious to everyone?
Read only your words to a family member and ask them to draw it without seeing yours. Compare the drawings and fix any unclear sentences.

Patent attorneys help inventors write a detailed description and a labelled drawing, so the invention is explained clearly enough to be protected.

Also try: Invent a job nobody has yet.

USA, Germany, Japan, South Korea, UK