How to get a Patent

While it's possible to get a patent on your own without the services of
an attorney, the patent you get may not even be worth the fees you paid.
A patent is actually a legal document (not merely a technical
description), and its drafting, particularly with respect to the the
claim language, is highly specialized. So, if you have a commercially
valuable invention, it's worth the costs of hiring a good patent
attorney or agent. For one thing, he or she can do some searching and
evaluation first (minor expense) and determine whether or not it's worth
going further.

In any case, you should be careful that no disclosure or "public" use or
marketing demo is made prior to getting your patent on file. This, of
course, introduces the problem that if you submit it to a company for
evaluation, that in itself may constitute a publication under the patent
statute. And if you accept their disclosure form, as is usually
required, it may not adequately protect your interests. - Again, a
little professional help can save problems down the road.

Jim