Patent

[Ramnares P.E.]

I've been thinking about looking into projects/designs for a patent.  Just wanted feedback on if it's worth the effort.  Does having a patent in your industry lend a lot of credibility?  Is it worth the cost/time? 

 

[P-E]

Ram, I'm a little confused by the question.  Are you looking to have an idea patented?  Mrs p-e writes patents.  I could ask.

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

That's correct P-E.  I'm fairly familiar with the process, one of my co-workers worked in the patent office.  I'm just wondering if it's worth the effort.  How is having a patent viewed on your resume? Does it lend some credibility to the holder etc?

 

[Supe]

Totally depends on industry.  My coworker has about a dozen hanging on his wall, and those are just the ones he could fit in the office.  In our current line of work, has no bearing on anything whatsoever.

 

[knight1fox3]

Very industry-dependent. Since I work in manufacturing and specifically product development engineering, I think having patents in my portfolio definitely adds credibility and provides for higher profile projects.

 

[Audi Driver P.E.]

I'm a patent agent.   I am a named inventor on like 11 issued patents and the sole inventor on one more.  It can look good on a resume, but I don't think it's worth the cost just for that reason.  Not even remotely.  Considering, especially that from idea to issued patent you're looking at about $25k, the real value is either selling the patent rights or preventing a competitor from competing in your space.

 

[Audi Driver P.E.]

http://imgur.com/gallery/djOXw

 

[knight1fox3]

That's a good point on the cost. If incurring on your own, it may not be worth it. Since my company absorbed the costs, it was worth it.

 

[P-E]

That's correct P-E.  I'm fairly familiar with the process, one of my co-workers worked in the patent office.  I'm just wondering if it's worth the effort.  How is having a patent viewed on your resume? Does it lend some credibility to the holder etc?

Well, it couldn't hurt.   I'm in the power industry and I don't think it is worth the effort for me.  I had a professor who came up with his own power cycle (wicks cycle) - cool and all.   Maybe in academia it is worth more.