Monday 19 March 2012

Processes involved in creating a patent file history


Patent file history or patent file wrapper is a term that refers to intellectual possessions of an inventor. It consists of specific rights that are given by an independent institute to inventor or whom the invention is assigned for public disclosure of an invention for specific time duration. In this case, the communication among independent institute or United States Patent and Trademark Office in United States with patent representative (usually an attorney) or an agent of inventor in documented form is called patent file history.
The process involved in creating a patent file history involves many steps. First, the inventor creates a patent application along with his/her attorney and submits it to patent office.  In United States, the application is submitted to the office of United States Patent and Trademark Office (U S P T O).  Second, the application is entertained on first come first serve basis by patent officer who has knowledge, training and experience related to subject matter of invention. They are scientists, engineers or scholars and not surprisingly lawyers.
Third, the patent officer examines the patent application to ensure all the pre-requisites of the application are met and this process is called “prosecution”. Fourth, the examination is done on two grounds i.e. whether the invention is explained in a step-by-step manner through documentation and graphical representation to make sure that the invention is understood and implemented by others after the patent expires, and blocked the knowledge of the “prior art” .

Finally, to wind up this process, the patent officer will look for already available prior art or patent to ensure uniqueness of content. To conduct that action, the patent officer looks into computerized databases available at United States Patent and Trademark Office relevant to invention to ensure its claim of uniqueness and novelty in the patent application.
“Office action” is issued after the termination of above processes stating the termination of this process in the form of document. The document states the declaration of patent application as rejected/objection on any ground that is not parallel to patent laws or at other times acceptable. The document is sent to the inventor or his/her attorney after the issue of office action and the inventor is given an opportunity to object on any of the point that makes the application rejected.
This whole process is known as prosecution and its record is held by United States Patent and Trademark Office.  This record is said to be Patent file history.