How do you patent ideas?

Patent Law--Is it better to file one patent for three related ideas?

• I dreamed up three ways to improve a certain product. The ideas are related but could be used separately. So, should I: A) File one patent application that covers all three ideas? Or B) File three different patent applications? Cost is an issue. The goal is to make money by licensing production rights to a major manufacturer.

• Answer:

  The answer is going to depend on the specifics of the inventions. This is something best determined with the assistance of a patent attorney. Since cost is an issue, it is, in a lot of cases, cheaper to do a single app. If they are separate ideas you may get a restriction requirement and then pursue divisional applications, so a high claim count in the original app may be costly. A big advantage to doing them together is that if they have some sort of synergy, then the combination may provide patentability. Really you need to sit down with a patent attorney and go through the specifics.