Global Patent Services

US Patent Related Services

We provide our clients with the following services in cooperation with Ohashi & Horn LLP.

Confidentiality

The confidentiality of your information and inventions is very important to us.  That is why we sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to guarantee the confidentiality of your information. 

We have a sample NDA in Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word formats. 

Provisional Patent Applications

Some inventors choose to save money and time in the beginning by filing a provisional patent application rather than a non-provisional utility application.  We are able to assist inventors with thoroughly documenting their inventions and filing provisional patent applications (PPAs).  The actual work of filing a PPA is performed by patent attorneys at Ohashi & Horn LLP.  Because of the collaboration between GBN and Ohashi & Horn LLP, the cost of filing a PPA is less than if you were to order the these services directly from a patent attorney.

After filing a PPA, inventors can assert that their invention is "patent pending".

After filing the PPA, you have a 12 month pendency period to file a non-provisional utility patent application that references the PPA and claims the PPA's filing date.  You should use this 12 month pendency period to assess whether filing patent applications in the US and/or other countries makes business sense.  

Please contact us for a free quote.

Utility Patent Applications

A utility patent is the most common type of patent.  It protects the way something works, the way something is made, or the way something is used.  We are able to assist inventors with thoroughly documenting their inventions and filing utility applications.  The actual work of filing a utility application is performed by patent attorneys at Ohashi & Horn.  Because of the collaboration between GBN and Ohashi & Horn, the cost of filing a utility application is less than if you were to order the these services directly from a patent attorney.

An important part of preparing a utility patent application is the prior art search.  This is necessary to determine whether there are existing patents that are identical to your own, or similar patents that may create difficulties for you in obtaining your desired patent.  Prior art searches are discussed below.

Please contact us for a free quote.

Design Patent Applications

A design patent is another type of patent.  It protects the appearance or design of something.  We are able to assist inventors with thoroughly documenting their inventions and filing design applications.  The actual work of filing a design application is performed by patent attorneys at Ohashi & Horn LLP.  Because of the collaboration between GBN and Ohashi & Horn LLP, the cost of filing a PPA is less than if you were to order the these services directly from a patent attorney.

An important part of preparing a design patent application is the prior art search.  This is necessary to determine whether there are existing patents that are identical to your own, or similar patents that may create difficulties for you in obtaining your desired patent.  Prior art searches are discussed below.

Please contact us for a free quote.

Prior Art Patent Searches

We have the ability to conduct prior art patent searches for the US, EPO (European Patent Office), PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty), JPO (Japan Patent Office), and INPADOC patent documents.  The Japan Patent Office (JPO) publishes more patent documents than the US or Europe and has adopted its own patent classification system in addition to the International Classification Codes.  We are able to read the Japanese original documents to determine their relevancy and provide translations into English as needed.  INPADOC (INternational PAtent DOcumentation Center) contains the bibliographic and family data of patent documents and utility models of 71 patent issuing organizations, i.e. many countries of the world.

Please contact us for a free quote.

Japanese to English Translations

In your prior art searches, you may come across relevant Japanese patent documents or other technical materials.  The JPO (Japan Patent Office) provides English translations of the abstracts of all patent publications; however, the quality of these English translations varies and there are times when it is necessary to learn the full details of the patent publication.  We provide Japanese to English translation services of patents, patent applications, and other technical documents.  Translations are conducted with the utmost care and attention to accuracy.  As needed, we consult freelance consultants for their specialized knowledge.

Please contact us for a free quote.

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Copyright ©2003 by Fumitomo Hide

Updated October 25, 2003