The Inventor Handbook

“I can say without reservation that Peter Keefe’s book, The Inventor Handbook, is an essential read and reread for anyone with an idea.”

— Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut

Why is The Inventor Handbook an essential read and reread for anyone with an idea?

Because it will teach YOU:

the art of transforming an idea into an invention;
the strategies of converting an invention into a commercially valuable patent; and
the tactics of bringing an invention to market with the aim to make serious money.

Written in an easy-to-read style by a patent attorney with over 40 years of experience, its tons of examples include the Author’s own patent application for his invention, the “Thawometer,” which matured into U.S. Patent 9,410,730. Novice and seasoned inventors alike will find The Inventor Handbook a treasure-trove of how-to information. You’ll know what your patent attorney needs to do for you to succeed.

Part I, Inventing, explores the subtleties of the process: how ideas originate, what characterizes a good idea, and how to turn that good idea into a perfected invention. To help you along the way, topics include the searching of prior art, assertions of co-inventorship, and claims of ownership by an employer.

Chapter 1: Catching an Idea

Chapter 2: Idea to Invention

Chapter 3: Searching

Chapter 4: Invention Perfection

Chapter 5: Ownership Issues

Part II, Patenting, explains the arcane formalities necessary to obtain a patent. You’ll understand what a patent is and is not; how the U.S. Patent Office works and how it fits into the international patent system; why patent applications are written according to a time tested standard; exactly what a patent claim is and how claims define the extent of your patent protection; how to find a patent attorney, know how to work with him/her and be on the lookout for practice, procedure and billing irregularities; and finally, the tricks, strategies and maneuvers that can win you a patent.

Chapter 1: Patents Overview

Chapter 2: The Patent Office

Chapter 3: Patent Attorneys

Chapter 4: Patent Applications

Chapter 5: Patent Prosecution

Part III, Marketing, reveals how to make money from your invention. Understanding the economic merits of your invention and recognizing how it fits into the marketplace is a challenge, but an achievable one. How this essential knowledge is then parlayed into a manufacturer match is key. You’ll learn how to approach a prospect and navigate the maxims of marketing.

Chapter 1: How to Sell Your Invention

Chapter 2: Types of Deals

Chapter 3: Business Entities

Chapter 4: The Ten Maxims of Marketing

Chapter 5: Invention Marketing Firms

Epilogue: Marketing of the Thawometer

Author Biography

Peter D. Keefe, senior patent attorney at Keefe and Associates, holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in phyics and a J.D. degree in law. He is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Peter formerly taught physics at the university level and currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer at University of Detroit Mercy. He has counseled a myriad of individual inventors and has served as outside patent counsel to General Motors during his forty-plus years of intellectual property practice. Joseph P. Carrier, managing partner at Carrier, Shende and Associates, P.C., holds a B.S. degree in chemistry and a J.D. degree in law. He is a former patent examiner and is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He has counseled a host of individual inventors, as well as a number of international corporations.