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Subject:Re: FWD: Patent writing From:Kelly Anderson <kellya -at- VIEWSOFT -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 27 May 1998 19:38:36 -0600
At 06:05 AM 5/27/98 , you wrote:
>Name withheld upon request. Please reply on list.
>
>*************************************************
>
>I've looked for, but haven't found much, information about patent
>writing. Are any writers on this list doing this? What is the career
>path, and what areas are "hot"? What are the preferred qualifications?
I've written up a couple of patents for my company. I had to get a LOT of
help from the lawyer the first time through, but not so much the second
time. I don't think you need to be a lawyer to work on writing patents.
Having a really good understanding of what you are patenting does help.
Having a good idea of what the patent office looks for is extremely
critical. You will learn this with some experience.
I don't know about hot areas, but qualifications would vary on the patent.
You would have to get help from a lawyer the first few times through.
Concentrate on getting the claims right the first time, they are the only
part the patent office reads these days.
Read a lot of patents in the area of the patent before filing one. This
will give you an idea of what has worked in the past.
You can contact me off-list if you need specific advise, but remember, I'm
a programmer, not a lawyer.
-Kelly
"I'm not really a technical writer, I just play one at work."
