When you are looking for some of the different patents that you would like to put on your invention or idea, you will quickly notice that there are a few different types of patents that you will be able to use. There are different ones based on the category of the work that you are going to work with. There are a few types including plant, design, and utility patents. We can look at each one to see the benefits and determine which one is going to be the best for our needs. The common patents to choose include:

# Plant patents: These are going to be for anyone who invents, discovers, and produces a new kind of plant that is able to reproduce. These patents will last for 20 years from the date that you file and you will not have to pay any maintenance fees to make it work either.

# Design patents: These are going to be patents that are issued for ornamental, new, and original designs for a manufactured product. Design patents will protect the design or look of something. The invention that the design belongs to has to be original. These can last for a little less than some of the others, usually 15 years for those filed on or after May 13, 2015. For those filed before that time, the patent is good for 14 years.

# Utility patents: These are a unique patent that is supposed to be for invention and will give the inventor some legal protection for coming up with a new and useful process, an article of manufacture, a composition of matter, or a machine. These are the most common patent and 90% of the individuals who apply for a patent will have one of these. This patent is good for up to 20 years after the date of filing, but you will need to pay maintenance fees to make sure that you can keep the patent. It is possible to lose these patents and the protections that they offer if you do not pay.

There are a lot of components that will come with patent law and knowing how to keep up with them and make sure that you get some of the legal protections that you would like can be key. That is why we encourage you to work with a member of our team to learn more. We are excited to work with you through the patent process, whether you need help with the application or you have someone who is using your product or idea without permission. Contact a member of our team today to learn more.