Do you have an exceptional mobile app idea? But, simultaneously a little afraid of somebody stealing your idea and implementing it before you could? If yes, then there’s no need to think about this dilemma anymore. You can protect your idea from getting stolen by following a simple step. This simple step is to patent mobile app idea.
Before this step, you should be sure that you have an exclusive and exceptional mobile app idea. If your idea is similar to the ones already in the market, then you might waste your money and effort. Today, in this blog, we will cover every essential detail concerning how you can get your mobile app idea patented.
Patent Mobile App Idea – What Does It Even Mean?
A patent is a form of intellectual property law. This law prevents your ideas from being used without your consent. It endows you with the independent power to eliminate others from producing or marketing your idea. No one can use your mobile app idea under the claim of being their idea if it is patented.
Besides, patenting your mobile app will ensure that no one destroys your app idea or even earn profits in the name of your app.
Why Should One Patent His Mobile App Idea?
Your app idea is your unique intellectual property. Getting a patent for your idea is technically claiming compensation from everybody who copies or intends to copy your idea. As an attempt to breach existing patent laws, the concerned authorities can be moved legally by you. But, this is possible only when you have a patent for your mobile app idea.
If your idea is not patented, anybody is free to take up your unique idea and make it work. Some of the major reasons are listed before:-
- Legally, you can attack every clone of your introduced app. It can be someone who used your idea or someone who tried to change your base idea to give it a new look.
- The uniqueness and originality of your mobile app idea get legally recognized.
- You tend to cut off financial competitors, who might have stolen your idea to swell their profits.
See Also: Why is Flutter the Ideal Choice to Build a Startup Mobile App?
What Makes Your Mobile App Idea Patent Eligible?
1. Idea Should Be Original And Different:
Your idea might solve user problems, attract new users, or be one of the trending tales. But, if your idea is not new, it is not patent-eligible. Your mobile app idea should be unique, exceptional, and, most importantly, original. It is advised not to disclose your app idea before it is made. The idea might travel many ears that might develop it before you do.
2. Your Idea Should Be An Invention.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a patent solves any issue. Mobile app ideas can’t be seen or touched, but they hold importance just like any other physically valuable object. It can earn a profit, offer a solution to the problem, and be an asset for a lifetime. Before you lose your idea to somebody else, protect it with a patent.
3. The Patent Should Be Useful
Whether your app idea falls under the category of fun or entertainment, your patent should be qualified for being useful. Being qualified as useful means that your mobile application idea should be useful theoretically. Those ideas that do not prove to be useful for users don’t enter the market that easily due to the qualification of being useful.
What If My Mobile App Idea Is Patented By Somebody Else?
It is even possible that the idea you thought might already exist in the market. If that mobile idea is already on the market, it might also be patented by someone else. What one has to do to know whether your idea is patented? You should review all the associated application ideas that are either marketed or pending.
Every country or state has an operational database where this data is stored safely and easily accessed. International Patent Classification (IPC), Catchword Index of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) provides a list and data of international patents.
What Is The Right Time To File A Patent?
Many startups and entrepreneurs choose to file a temporary app before publishing certain aspects of the app openly. You can discuss with various patent solicitors, who can advise you to patent an app idea before disclosing it with possible investors. It might be possible that the app idea would have been invented earlier, but the patent would be granted to one who had first filed a patent against it.
Necessary documents and information that are required to file a patent against your mobile app idea are as follows:-
Patenting your idea can include a lot of paperwork like
- Oath/Declaration
- Entity Status Form
- Specification
- Information Disclosure Statement
- Claims
- Application Data Sheet (ADS)
- Drawings
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (for International Filings) (Optional)
- Fee Sheet
- Application to Make Special (Optional)
- Cover Sheet
Steps By Steps Guide To Get Your App Idea Patented
1. Hire A Patent Lawyer
Do you want to get a patent for your mobile app idea? Well, then you should appoint a software patent attorney holding good years of experience. Before trying to perform these technical things yourself, make peace with hiring professional help for this task. Since patenting is a legal process, it includes a lot of legal technicalities.
Research the market, identify your expectations, allocate a budget and find the right lawyer for your task. Also, legal professionals help you exhibit a well-formed, high-end patent. Thus, increasing the chances of your patent app getting selected.
2. Conduct A Comprehensive Patent Research
Research always helps a person in widening their existing knowledge or learning new things. Similarly, conducting comprehensive patent research is very important. The patent research can be done by oneself individually. But, a lawyer can help you better study apps similar to your app or have the exact functionalities and flows.
3. Turn Your Idea Into Reality
Building a prototype for your idea is always advisable before proceeding with the patenting process for your mobile app idea. The court works on proof. So you should be handy with all the documents concerning the development process of your app.
How Much Does It Cost To Patent Your Mobile App Idea?
There are two types of patents: Provisional and Non-provisional. So, the cost depends upon the type of patent you have chosen for your app. If you have selected a provisional patent, it might cost you around $2000 to $5000. The provisional patent might last up to a year. But, if you have chosen a non-provisional patent, it may cost you around $10,000 to $15,000.
When you apply for a non-provisional patent, your mobile app idea gets examined. The same examination may vary from one to three years. It is because your idea is examined to check its eligibility.
Conclusion
I hope the blog hasn’t failed to deliver every detail concerning patenting your mobile app idea. It might include a lot of procedures, but in the end, it’s all worth it. We hope this article about how to patent a mobile app idea is helpful to you. Do share this content on social media if you find it useful for you in any manner.
Founder of Cmile. Expert in mobile app📱 & web🌍 development. Passionate about technologies💻. On mission🚀 to digitally solve people’s problems. Love to use emojis✌🏼
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