United States Patent and Trademark Office

Path to a Patent

The Path to a Patent quarterly series covers everything from intellectual property basics, to patent searching, to what you’ll need to draft and submit your patent application. The series is part of our ongoing intellectual property training for independent inventors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

Upcoming events

USPTO experts discuss the formalities and requirements of drafting a patent application, as well as how to avoid common mistakes.

USPTO experts discuss parts of the claim in a patent application, show examples of claim illustrations from issued U.S. patents, and help participants develop a better appreciation of how a patent examiner views a claim.

USPTO International Patent Legal Administration experts will discuss considerations and options for filing foreign patent applications and overview of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Approved for MCLE credit in CA.

USPTO experts will teach participants how to use Patent Center to file and manage patent documents online, including using training mode to practice filing.

USPTO experts share important tips on filing a patent application and what to do after you filed for a patent. Learn about common mistakes to avoid and gain a better understanding of post-filing procedures and support.

Past events

Hear about preliminary searching in part three of this eight-part recurring series.

Learn key differences between provisional and nonprovisional patent applications in part two of this eight-part series.

USPTO experts provide an overview of the different types of intellectual property (IP) that includes patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights as well as an introduction to the patent process.

USPTO experts share important tips on filing a patent application and what to do after you filed for a patent. Learn about common mistakes to avoid and gain a better understanding of post-filing procedures and support.

USPTO experts will teach participants how to use Patent Center to file and manage patent documents online, including using training mode to practice filing.

Show more past events