What is the difference between an Invention Promoter and a Patent Attorney?
An invention promoter may offer a variety of business marketing services to promote an invention. Invention promoters are generally not licensed attorneys and are generally not licensed by a state bar or the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). While there are honest business and marketing groups, an inventor may want to check an invention promoters success rate or whether complaints have been filed against the invention promoter. An invention promoter should not give legal advice to an inventor about how to protect an invention without the proper license. This is called practicing without a license and is very bad. In contrast, a patent attorney helps identify and patent inventions. A patent attorney is licensed by both a state bar and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A patent attorney can help patent an invention, register a trademark and prepare legal documents such as license agreements and confidential disclosure agreements.
