Question from Simon T.:
What is a poor man’s patent?
Simon T.
Hi Simon,
There is no such thing as a poor man’s patent. The poor man’s patent is a myth that has circulated for years about the idea of free patent protection. The process starts with an inventor sending himself a certified letter with his invention idea written inside. The envelope is never opened. The idea is that the postmark can be used to prove the date of the idea. But the truth is, that this letter can never be used in court and this myth has cost people the ability to patent their invention in the future. The only way to have patent protection for your invention is to apply for a patent from the USPTO.
– TG
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