Patent Law Essentials: A Concise Guide

While waiting to find out if my application to the PTO to sit for the next patent bar exam was approved, and prior to obtaining a full-fledged course of study on patent practice, I decided to invest in this book to get a better idea of what I was getting into. I must say that not only did I get a comprehensive introduction to the topic, but it was also an enjoyable read. The author uses subtle humor to get the points across, as exemplified by his use of various, patented mousetrap designs as examples, and his knowledge of patent law is superb. Indeed, there is hardly a page in the book sans footnotes and citations to case law. Now that I am into the thick of learning the subject in detail in preparation for the exam, I find the subject matter familiar and that the overall perspective gained from Patent Law Essentials is invaluable. This is a well organized, informative book that should be useful to any technical professional, especially, who wishes to demystify the arcane practice of patent prosecution.

This book gets to the point and is very well organized. The author apparently put a lot of thought into the flow of the book, making it very intuitive to follow. I've learned more from this small book, than I have from a book 5 times the size. The footnotes all throughout the book are excellent references as well (especially when studying for the patent exam). The author seems extremely knowledgable, and more importantly, does a great job relaying that knowlege onto the reader.

I read this book while preparing for my patent law exam at law school. I found it very useful: it is a complete and up to date introduction into the patent act and how it is applied by the Patent and Trademark Office and the courts. It contains all necessary references that a lawyer needs but the language is clear enough that an interested layman can understand it as well. It is not a "How to get a patent yourself book" however - it is for laywers or for people used to reading legal texts.

This book provides an excellent, concise and clear explanation of basic patent law and current "hot" issues in the law. I am an experienced lawyer who wanted to inform himself about this area of law, and it was great for that purpose. In addition, many cases illustrative of the decisional law on various issues are cited in footnotes, so it is very easy to follow up on any issues one desires. Well worth the price.

This book represents the best one-volume reference for beginners and experts interested in patent law. It is immensely helpful as a quick reference guide for materials that might be useful in legal proceedings. It is also an invaluable teaching tool that presents a fluid, cogent view of the full breadth of patent law. Students would be well advised to secure a copy and read it from cover to cover. (Thankfully, the book has none of the boring and irrelevant historical anecdotes that seem to grow like vestigial flesh on all the other treatises as the law and events pass them by.) The book strikes a fair balance between the detail necessary to comprehend fully the depth of patent law issues and the generality needed by those who are in search of a quick and ready understanding of patent law as a whole or one of its narrow component parts. In short, this book is an invaluable source for executives, technical experts, patent prosecutors, litigators and students.