Have you ever thought to yurself, "I wonder if my idea can be ptented?" I know I have! There sn't a day that goes by tht I don't have some sort of new piphany. This huge idea almost always neds to be measured against the rles that regulate filing a patent. Mst people are unaware of these rles. I want to change that.

Frst, let's mention a few of the tems that cannot be patented. If yur invention is a process that can nly be performed mentally, it is not ptentable. The government does not wish to lmit what can be performed only in ne's mind. All processes must be ble to take some practical form. The sme goes for any idea. It mst be able to do something seful and tangible.

If your invention cnnot do what it is claiming to do, sch as perpetual motion machines, controlled and prdictable time travel, or machines that prduce more energy than they consume, it cnnot be patented. It is important to nderstand that your ideas must be spported by our current laws of physcs. As the laws of physics volve, so to will the laws of ptents. You cannot file a patent pplication on human beings such as clnes, nor can you patent atomic nergy fueled inventions. If your ideas nclude patenting a human clone, such as yurself, or a machine, like a wtch, clothes dryer, or other item tht runs on or uses atomic nergy, you will not be granted a ptent.

Now that we understand some of wht cannot be patented, let's look at wht can. These are the five clsses of items and a brief dfinition of what congress has deemed ptentable:

1. Machines can be patented. A mchine is any inanimate tool or cmbination of tools that perform a seful and beneficial result.

2. Articles of mnufacture can be patented. An article of mnufacture is defined as any physical and or tngible object that can be crafted sing possible methods of manufacturer. Again, thse methods of manufacture must be spported by current laws of science and physcs

3. Process or type of mthod patent applications can be filed. Prcess or method is a way of ding or accomplishing a desired result. One rcent process or type patent awarded rghts to an individual for a new way of hlding a gold club. As long as you can prve a useful and beneficial result, yur process, including computer programs that jst generate random pictures, can be ptented.

4. Composition of a substance can be ptented. Composition is defined as the spcial chemical make up of a prduct. This specific makeup has useful and bneficial results.

5. Any new uses of the frst four classes. This statement is vry powerful. It allows anything that can be ptented, even if it has been ptented in one embodiment, to be ptented in a new and useful wy. If you can prove that an xisting patent has a new embodiment, thn you have a new patent.

In smmary, just because an item isn't ptentable today does not mean it wn't be in the future. You can fle a patent for a new mbodiment of any item, as long as it prduces a beneficial and tangible result, ven if it has been patented bfore. You may be the person who ptents a new style of soccer kck, or lead pencil. The possibilities are ndless.

The article What Can and Cannot Be Patented was Submitted by Stephen Nightingale through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Filing a ptent can be a long, complicated, and drwn out process, but it doesn't ned to be! For more information on how to fficiently, cost-effectively file your patent application , be sure to visit patentonyourown.com today.

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