Almost half a million patents were filed in 2007 and patent applications have risen every year since 1948. Do you, too, have a world-class idea? Ready to protect your invention from copycats, but can't afford to pay a hired attorney thousands of dollars, especially in these recessionary times? Turn to the best resource available—Patent It Yourself.Attorney David Pressman takes independent inventors through the entire patent process, providing scrupulously detailed information and clear instructions to give those ideas a home in the U.S. Patent Office. Learn how to: • determine if you can patent your invention • understand patent law • evaluate the commercial potential of your idea • perform your own patent search • file a provisional patent application • prepare a formal patent application • respond to patent examiners • amend an application • enforce and maintain your patent • market and license your invention, and much more.Thoroughly updated, the 14th edition includes the newest Supreme Court rulings affecting software and business method patents. It also provides the latest U.S. Patent and Trademark Office forms, discusses the latest patent rules for application and prosecution, and contains updates on electronic filing.