Patents & Protection
Attorneys protect inventions. Validation tests the market.
They are different jobs, and the best results come from doing both in the right order.
Educational content, not legal advice. InventMentors does not file patents or give legal opinions. Talk with a registered patent attorney or patent agent about your own situation.
How do the two jobs complement each other?
Attorney or agent
Asks: how should this be protected, and what do I need to watch for? Handles what can be claimed, filings, deadlines, disclosure questions, and legal review.
Market validation
Asks: will anyone buy this, at what price, and which path should I test first? Handles the buyer, demand evidence, pricing, and differentiation.
Inventors who treat one as a stand-in for the other tend to find the gap late. Read Do Patent Attorneys Validate Market Demand? for the short version, or the patent validation page for the four checks.
When should you validate relative to filing?
- Before big spending. Validation is faster and cheaper than a filing or tooling, and it tells you whether those investments make sense.
- In parallel with filing decisions. If you have shared the invention publicly or are about to, talk to a registered patent attorney or agent about timing right away. Validation can run alongside.
- After you file. It is still worth doing before a licensing push, a launch, or a manufacturing run.
More on timing in When Should You Patent an Invention? and a checklist in Before You File a Patent: A Market Validation Checklist.
What should you bring to your first attorney meeting?
- A clear description of the invention, and drawings or photos if you have them
- A record of what you have shared, with whom, and when, including public posts, demos, and offers to sell
- What you found in a basic prior art check
- Your Customer Pain Statement and market notes: the buyer, what you heard, and what similar products cost
- Your rough plan: license, sell, or make it yourself
- Your questions and your budget
Sharing your market notes is useful. A clear buyer and a likely path help shape the advice you receive. See Working With a Patent Attorney: What Comes After.
For patent attorneys and agents
Many inventors reach the end of a filing without having tested whether anyone will buy the product. One patent attorney now has inventor clients work with Suzi first, so they understand whether there is real demand before they are deep into commercialization decisions. Read the story in the patent attorney case study.
A simple way to refer a client:
- Share the free Validation Assessment. It is 15 questions, about five minutes, with an instant result.
- If the client wants help acting on the result, they can book a 30-minute Strategy Session ($167).
- The legal work stays with you. InventMentors does not provide legal advice, file patents, or comment on patentability or infringement.
To talk about working together, email suzi.murphy@inventmentors.com.
Working With Patent Attorneys FAQ
Will my patent attorney tell me whether my idea will sell?
Usually not. Attorneys and agents focus on protection, claims, and filing strategy. Whether buyers want the product and will pay your price is a market question. Treat it as a separate task, and bring your findings to the attorney so strategy can reflect them.
When should I validate relative to filing?
As early as you can, and before big spending on tooling or a licensing push. Validation does not require a filing. If you have shared or are about to share the invention publicly, talk to a registered patent attorney or agent about timing right away and validate in parallel.
What should I bring to my first attorney meeting?
Bring a clear description of the invention, any drawings, a record of what you have shared and with whom, notes on similar products, your rough plan to license or manufacture, and your questions and budget. Preparation saves time and helps your attorney or agent advise you accurately.
Does InventMentors give legal advice?
No. InventMentors does not provide legal advice, file patents, or give opinions on patentability or infringement. Those belong with a registered patent attorney or patent agent. InventMentors helps with the commercial side: buyer, demand evidence, pricing, differentiation, and which path to test.
How can an attorney refer a client?
The simplest way is to share the free Validation Assessment link. Clients answer 15 questions in about five minutes and see an instant result. If they want help acting on it, they can book a 30-minute Strategy Session for $167. Attorneys can also email Suzi directly.
Related reading
Cover both halves
Take the free Validation Assessment, then book a strategy session if you want help acting on it.