“I Am an Inventor!”

Have you ever thought of a really cool creation that no one else has ever made, and then thought, "Hey, I should invent that"?

The scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have invented lots of wonderful things over the years. For example, ARS scientists have discovered new ways to make your favorite candies, cookies and ice creams even sweeter. Some of the sweeteners they invented aren't as likely to cause tooth decay, which is good news for you, your parents and even your dentist!

Would you like to be an inventor like the ARS scientists? Maybe you have a great idea for a new toy, cartoon or food. After you create your invention, you probably would want to think about getting a patent on it.

You're probably asking yourself, “What does that mean, and why would I want to go to all that trouble?" Experts give patents to inventions that are new and useful. The whole world will know that it is your invention, and no one else can steal your idea or take credit for it.

Your invention doesn't always have to be something that no one has ever heard of before. It could be an improvement on an earlier invention that was also patented.

How does this patenting process work?

Pretend that you have designed a new ice cream cone shape. You've experimented with the new shape and have shown that it's very useful. Now you're ready to follow these steps to getting a patent on your great new ice cream cone shape.

Step 1: You'll go to a patent office and talk to a patent lawyer or a patent advisor. This is very important because you want to prove to them your ice cream cone shape really works, so be sure to bring in drawings of your invention--or the invention itself, if that's possible.

Step 2: During that meeting, if you prove to the advisor that your invention really works, you can begin to put together an application that gives important details about your invention. You'll need to tell--

• What category of patent your invention is in. That's easy; your ice cream cone shape is in the food category.
• Background information about your invention. This is where you would describe other ice cream cone shapes that have already been invented. You have to do this to show that your invention really is patentable, because no one else has thought of the new shape that you've come up with!
• Drawings of your ice cream cone shape. You'll want to show all the different angles of the cone shape.
• A single sentence that tells what your invention is.
• An "abstract," which is just a few sentences about how your new ice cream cone shape is useful, how it works and what it does.

Step 3: Now you're ready to turn in your application to the patent advisor for review. Be patient, because it may take anywhere from a few months to a year to find out if your invention can really be patented. The patent experts have to process many applications, so remember that this all takes time.

But at last, you get a phone call from the patent advisor, and he tells you that yes, your ice cream cone shape has been approved for a patent. Way to go!

Now that you have your patent, you're ready to sell your invention to ice cream companies or food chains. And you can say, "That was my idea; I'm an inventor!" Wouldn't that feel great?

If you would like to become a scientist one day, check out this link. And remember: If you invent something totally new and don't get it patented, someone else might steal it from right under your nose.

—By Kimberly Lewis, formerly with the Agricultural Research Service Office of Technology Transfer

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