how old do you have to be to....?

Question

How old do you have to be before you can patent an idea?

I'm 13 and I get a ton of ideas often and wish to be able to patent some of them. Is there a way that I can patent some of my ideas through somebody?

Answer 1

This answer is intended for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or representation:

There is no lower limit to age. Although minors are not able to sign most legal documents, the regulations surrounding patent allow a minor to sign the declarations that are necessary to patent an invention, provided that the minor is competent to do so (understands what he or she is signing).

With that said, patent is a very complicated area of law, and you would be well advised to seek the advice of a patent attorney if you can afford one. You will need to conduct a search for "prior art" (inventions that came before yours incorporating similar design features/functionality), to show that your invention is original enough to patent. This can be a very time-consuming and costly process. Patents also need to be described and diagramed in a particular way.

If you are interested in the process and procedure, consider going to your local public law library. Also, check out the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:
http://www.uspto.gov
Nolo Press,
http://www.nolopress.com
has a book and several pages on patent (you can check the book out at your library), that explains the process in plain English.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Old enough to pay the fees, which can be quite large. One of the most expensive parts of a patent is the search, which is supposed to ensure that no prior work exists which is already patented.

Generally, patenting an idea is difficult. It depends if you are able to accurately describe and diagram it; patents for physical items, and for things like algorithms and software concepts are must easier to patent.

Answer 3

I dont think its the age, I think its the money..the question is how much money

Answer 4

any age!