Patenting an invention might be both a complicated and durable process especially if you do not know what aspects about it you should pay special attention to, but the reward at the end of a tiresome journey surely justifies invested funds. Unfortunately, not every individual who applies for a patent finishes their venture successfully, and the reasons for the failure of getting exclusive rights for a particular invention might be various. In the lines below, we shall discuss the signs that could categorize your invention as not patentable, so read the following text and figure out whether you should continue with making efforts to protect what you have or you should focus on a different project.
1. Illegality
Source: lexinter.net
The point of patenting an invention is not solely to come up with an amazing idea of how to make a certain practice more efficient, neither it is to revolutionize the way people look at particular aspects. The catch is to accomplish that within legal boundaries. Therefore, if your invention has no other uses than to improve or support any type of illegal activity in any means, we advise you not to waste your time trying to have it patented.
The whole point of applying for a patent is to secure you have the exclusive rights that you would make use of legally afterward. The whole practice of obtaining legal rights for an illegal invention would be paradoxical, therefore, focus on inventing things that would make the world a better and more functional place and keep it within legal boundaries. Otherwise, you will not only be rejected by the officials, but you could also draw the attention of authorities with suspicious activities you might potentiate.
2. Immoral Inventions
Nowadays, it is hard to say what is truly moral and what is not. Namely, depending on the opinion of general society and moral standards, you may or may not patent an invention. As an example, we would like to use the notion of human cloning. We are all aware that cloning is possible, but using the practice on humankind is considered immoral for innumerable reasons we would leave to you to research later.
Now, you might be aware that the aforementioned subject has been a stumbling block to numerous controversial discussions between both known and unknown scholars around the world, and the conclusion about patenting inventions that compromise the idea of a man as a conscious being is that it should not be potentiated and made possible.
3. Perpetuum Mobile
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Humankind has been looking for a machine that works on nothing but its power since the beginning of time, and the chances that this trend is going to change are minimal. The same goes if you try to patent an invention or a gadget you claim will last forever.
Even though if you could make something that grand as a famous Perpetuum mobile, there would be no way to test its power and potential, since the experiment would last forever, for logical reasons. Thus, if you by any chance come up with the idea and solve one of mankind’s biggest mysteries, do not waste your time trying to patent it. On the other hand, if you reckon your invention is patentable, visit InventHelp and find additional info on how to legally protect your idea.
4. Medical Methods
It would be amazing if you could find a way to cure various illnesses, but, yet again, you would not be able to apply your invention for a patent. Namely, if a method is upstanding, it is believed anyone, in this case, a medical practitioner should be free to use it, so no one should have the right to have the method patented under their name. Also, different persons would react differently to a particular method, thus, it is impossible to patent something with an unpredictable pattern of action.
Things change if you would apply for a patent for a product or a particular medical device, since your invention would then be patentable, surely, considering it does not violate other patenting rules.
5. Discoveries, Mathematical Theories, and Methods
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If something exists or it is believed that it exists, both in tangible and intangible means, you should not bother trying to patent it, no matter how ingenious and seemingly personal your invention might appear. Even though you could consider your discovery as revolutionary as it gets, there are other ways to receive credit other than claiming legal rights on it.
Basically, all discoveries are considered to be a form of the general good, so nobody should be able to claim exclusive rights on them. The same goes for mathematical theories and methods since it is believed they already exist and wait for people to discover them for general prosperity, not for the sake of an individual.
6. Natural Laws
It is impossible to patent a natural law, even though no one has ever even thought that it might exist. The best example for this is one of the most popular scientists ever to have walked among us, Albert Einstein, and his famous theory of relativity. Yes, it made him popular and recognized in scientific circles all around the world, but he could not have personalized it.
The same would be if you would like to introduce an explained general truth you figure out to the public. You could name it yours but never put a label on it.
What Can you Patent?
Source: venturewell.org
Figuring out what is actually patentable is relatively easy, even though individuals make a fuss of it for no reason. So, in order to patent an invention, it must be something new and inventive, but above all, it should be legal and it must be industrially applicable. Although it might not seem as much, people fail to patent their inventions all the time. The reasons for their failure are numerous, and in most cases, they fail to meet the conditions we have just emphasized.
Hopefully, you will find ways to patent your invention easily, especially after you gather valuable pieces of information mentioned in the lines above. On the other hand, if you fail to apply for a patent, at least we hope you will come up with a revolutionary discovery that will bring you enough fame and prosperity regardless if it cannot be officially called yours.
