This updated edition provides a clear explanation of the patent system. It includes information on the patenting process, obtaining patent protection, and how to recognize patentable inventions and avoid legal problems of infringement. The scope is international, with chapters on Canadian and other non-U.S. patent systems. New material in the second edition of Patent Fundamentals for Scientists and Engineers includes internet patent search techniques, helpful internet addresses, copies of the forms needed to file a patent, and more.

From the Preface: “...The patent system is also designed to promote the incentive for others to improve on the invention and enlarge the field of technology. This is a vital aspect of our system and has been very successful in the 200+ years it has been in existence. During those years, there have been changes in the system, but the basic tenets established at its creation still exist. Modifications and new applications are constantly occurring. Those changes will occur in the future, but the system will remain strong and will continue to foster advances in science and technology.”

Target Audience: Anyone needing an understanding of the patent system, including scientists, engineers, inventors, researchers, information retrieval specialists, business managers, entrepreneurs, and patent liason workers.

Table of Contents:

Patents as Intellectual Property

Patents — History, Philosophy, and Purpose

The U.S. Patent System

The Canadian Patent System

The Patentable Invention

The Evolution of a Patent

The Patent Document as Technical Literature

The Basic Principles of Patent Searching

Searching by Hand or Computer?

Patents as Legal Documents

Patent Information from the Internet

Importance of Record-Keeping

Patents Around the World

Appendix: Patent Forms and Questions and Answers Regarding the Patent Process

Glossary

Index