[TexasAg1996]

I'm a patent attorney. Any specific questions?

It usually takes a little while to get a patent application written, but it can take years to actually get a patent after filing the application.

[Blue Screen of Death]

It usually takes a little while to get a patent application written, but it can take years to actually get a patent after filing the application.

What happens if I want to patent a process to make patenting faster?

[tallhappy]

I'm a patent attorney. Any specific questions?

Take him up on this.

[rdb3]

The provisional patent sounds like the way to go. After buying this house, let's just say funds are not exactly there for what very well may be a commercial flop (you'll understand if I don't specify exactly what it is, right?).

But let me be a bit more specific. The item itself can't be patented. I have idea(s) about a process(es) that would make said item do something very differently. So I guess I'm asking is if I could patent the mechanism(s) that make the item do what I want it to do that's not yet done. Does that make sense? I can rattle off geekspeak like nobody's business. But I don't speak lawyerese.