Resources / Common questions
A clear starting point.
Practical questions about patent-agent services, technical support, and beginning an engagement.
What can a U.S. patent agent do?
A registered patent agent can represent others in patent matters before the USPTO, including patent preparation and prosecution within the authorized scope of practice. A patent agent is not, by that registration alone, an attorney. Court litigation, general legal advice, and transactional agreements require appropriately qualified counsel.
Do you work with outside patent and litigation counsel?
Yes. An engagement can focus on a defined prosecution task, technical analysis, claim chart, source-code review, or expert-support assignment. Responsibilities, supervision where applicable, deliverables, and deadlines are established in the engagement.
Can I send an invention disclosure with my first inquiry?
Start with a high-level, non-confidential description of the technology and the help you need. Confidential documents and detailed disclosures should wait until conflicts, scope, engagement, and the appropriate method of exchange have been addressed.
Can you handle an urgent deadline?
Identify the date and the type of deadline in your inquiry. Availability and responsibility for any deadline must be expressly confirmed; an email or website inquiry alone does not establish an engagement or deadline monitoring.
Do you offer fixed-fee or phased work?
Fees and scope are set for each engagement. A phased or fixed-fee structure can be considered when the inputs, deliverables, assumptions, and review process can be defined clearly. No pricing commitment is made by this website.
Can you support work outside the United States?
U.S. and authorized PCT work can be coordinated with qualified foreign associates. Foreign patent-office representation and jurisdiction-specific advice are provided by practitioners authorized in the relevant jurisdiction.
Does a patentability search establish freedom to operate?
No. Patentability and freedom to operate ask different questions. Patentability addresses whether an invention may qualify for patent protection; freedom-to-operate work examines potential rights affecting a proposed activity and may require legal opinions from qualified counsel.
How are AI and automation used?
Potential uses are evaluated for the task, data sensitivity, verification requirements, and engagement terms. Sources and outputs must remain reviewable. The website does not provide an automated legal opinion, and professional judgment remains with the responsible practitioner.