Will a Patent Attorney Steal My Invention?

Hi, I'm Rich Beem. Thank you for joining me. I'd like to talk with you about a question that many inventors have. They appropriately are concerned about the confidentiality of their inventions and they wonder if I disclose this invention to a patent attorney, is the patent attorney going to steal my invention. They might even wonder when the patent application is filed with the patent office, if the patent office is going to disclose their secret to someone else. And what I'd like to assure you of is that in all my 25 years of practice as a patent attorney I have never known of a case where a patent attorney has stolen an invention from a client.

Now, you do need to be secretive about your work. You don't want to disclose it before you get a patent application on file. You don't really want to disclose it necessarily after you get a patent application on file. But you can be assured that the patent attorney who does not need a confidentiality agreement, because patent attorneys are bound by the rules of confidentiality under the rules of ethics that apply both in the state bar and in the patent office. And within the patent office itself, the patent office keeps the patent application confidential for at least 18 months, at which time they normally publish the patent application. You can call us in confidence. And be assured that we will keep your invention confidential.

What do we do to get started with a client? First we have an engagement letter. We make sure there are no conflicts and that the client is prepared to hire us as your patent attorney and that we are willing to represent you. And we give you a written engagement letter. We also ask for a retainer.

Abraham Lincoln said that it's a good practice for an attorney to requirement some payment up front. That way the attorney knows that he has a client and the client knows that he or she has an attorney.

So why do I tell you this? If you need a patent attorney, pick up the phone and call me. That's what I do every day is work with inventions and patents. My phone number is 312-201-0011. Thank you for joining me.