I have am I weird patent holder . . . what do you think?

CAUTION: Before taking action, think through your entire patenting/marketing strategy and check out timing/cost issues for the patent application process.

It is quite unusual for someone your age to apply for patent. If you hire a patent attorney, the entire patenting process from begining to end may run you $25,000 to $30,000. The application fee alone at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may cost at least $500. And there is no guarantee that your application will be granted. As someone (e.g., you, your parents, investors) will have to foot this bill to keep the patent application on track, you should probably do your market research to make sure your invention will pay for itself before filing a patent application on it.

Should you decide to file a regular U.S. application, it will, by default, publish in 18 months. Given the backlog at the U.S. Patent Office, it will probably not be examined before you start applying for colleges. Thus, while you may be able to show college admissions people your published patent application, you will probably not be able to call yourself a “patent holder” by the time you apply for colleges. It is unclear whether the admissions people will even read your patent application in its entirety.

MY ADVICE: Don’t apply for a patent application merely because you want to impress college admissions people. Apply for a patent only if you think that you will profit (monitarily or otherwise) from the venture. If you decide to tell college admissions people that you have filed for a patent, be prepared to tell them IN DETAIL how you intend to profit from the filing. The following examples should give you some guidance in what I consider good reasons why you should tell admissions people you filed a patent application.

Example (1) You can truthfully tell the admissions people that you have Mattel or some other toy/game maker lined up to buy any patent that may issue.

Example (2) You have drafted and filed the application itself under the supervision of a patent attorney. You can truthfully tell the admissions people are applying to Stanford, MIT and Caltech and plan to to gain the technical background to practice later on as a patent agent or patent attorney.

GOOD LUCK.

Filing a patent application is not the same thing as having a patent. If your IP attorney didn’t explain that to you, then get a different one. I am torn on this one … certainly you want to highlight maybe some unusual strengths and willingness to think out side the box, and your initiative. But also you don’t want them thinking, “Oh God not another guy who wants to make new video games.” Hmmm … I guess on balance the chance to show some initiative wins out. Go ahead. Say you FILED a patent APPLICATION. Let us know when you get the little plaque that says you have an actual patent.

If I was looking at your resume I would be more interested in what you invented then in knowing that you applied for a patent. I would also like to know if you field tested this game and what people thought of it. That would show enterprise and initiative. Attitude is important. Applying for a patent shows nothing.

I wouldn’t mention it. Anyone can file for a patent. This would not enhance your application. In fact, it may be seen as a negative “look at me” factor.