How To Patent An App In USA

Do you have a unique mobile application that you fear would be stolen from you if not protected? Well, the best option you have is to patent that app. App patents give you a right over your applications, allowing you to ensure that no individual or company uses it against your will or claims to have ownership over it.

Additionally, it also acts as a shield in case of any infringements. Through this blog, let us quickly go through the steps for patenting an app in the United States. 

To patent the inventive parts of your application, first, you should draft patent cases that cover the application’s relating equipment and programming highlights through framework/contraption cases and technique/process claims.

While applying for patent cases for your versatile application, you should feature the clever angles to associate equipment components, where every one of the components has its motivation and is restricted under its usefulness as depicted in technique claims.

How Can I Patent My App?

You can patent app by filing a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Initially, you can file a provisional patent at the USPTO, giving you one year to file the official patent application. You can analyze the market and consider all the aspects during this time before moving on with the application. 

Once the one year time period is over, you can hire a patent attorney to help you prepare the documents required to submit with the application. When applying for the patent claims, you must include all the facts and documents that prove your invention to be unique and positively influence society.

Steps To Apply For An App Patent

Mobile app development is the current trend. With the demand for mobile apps constantly increasing, the competition in the industry is skyrocketing.

And to stay ahead and lead your industry, you will need a shield to protect the apps you build. Here are the steps to follow while patenting your mobile app.

Invention Disclosure

The first step is to disclose your invention by developing a prototype showing the complete workflow. To prove that your application is your unique invention, you must ensure to document the whole development process. This way, you have the complete data to prove your invention.

Patentability Search

In this step, you should hire a professional attorney to conduct worldwide search applications similar to yours or have the same functionalities and workflows. It is crucial to conduct deep research to ensure that your app has more possibility of getting sanctioned.

File A Provisional Or Non-Provisional Patent Application

You can either file a provisional or non-provisional patent application in this step. The provisional application gives you one year before filing your official patent application, thus allowing you to conduct more profound research on your product and analyze its worth of receiving a patent.

It is much easier to get and less expensive than non-provisional applications and allows you to use the term ’patent pending’ on the app.

Submit Your Application

Once you complete all the above steps, you can file your application with the USPTO.

Some of the documents you should submit along with the application are 

• Declaration,
• Specification,
• Entity Status Form,
• Information Disclosure Statement,
• Application Data Sheet (ADS),
• Claims (optional),
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (for International Filings),
• Drawings (optional),
• Application to Make Special,
• Fee Sheet, 
• Cover Sheet.

Conclusion

Filing a patent may be a highly time-consuming, expensive, and stressful job. It requires many steps and document preparations and can take a long time to get approved. However, once the USPTO sanctions the patent, you will get complete control and right over the application, allowing you to protect your idea and solely reap its benefits and profits. Furthermore, it protects your app against copying, unconsented usage, and more for up to 20 years.