Comments on: What to Expect when Calling a Patent Attorney http://ipwatchdog.com/2008/08/23/what-to-expect-when-calling-a-patent-attorney/id=189/ Patents, Patent Applications, Patent Law Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:11:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gene Quinn http://ipwatchdog.com/2008/08/23/what-to-expect-when-calling-a-patent-attorney/id=189/#comment-93 Gene Quinn Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:46:50 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=189#comment-93 Sorry Dr. Obviousso. I just don't believe what you are saying is true. And if you have a doctor that will talk to you about your symptoms over the phone and give you free medical advice on what you need to do before he/she sees you then that is one doctor that you should not go to see. It is irresponsible for a doctor to provide free medical advice without an office visit. Additionally, if a doctor has enough time to talk to patients who call in then the doctor is not likely very good. The same is true for patent attorneys. If you can call right in and demand to talk to a patent attorney and the patent attorney picks up the phone that means the patent attorney is not very busy, and if that is the case then you need to ask why. This is exactly the analogy I want to use. While it is common to tell the receptionist what is wrong with you and why you want to see the doctor, it is unrealistic to think that the doctor is going to diagnose you on the telephone. It is equally unrealistic to expect a patent attorney to provide free legal information over the phone. In the past while I was teaching full time and doing IPWatchdog as a service and not a business I would talk to inventors, who would gladly take up 20, 30, 40 minutes or longer. Then would not want to pay for any additional consultation or services. Many times I had inventors finally tell me "well, that is exactly what my patent attorney said, but I didn't believe him and just wanted to check." At which point I would abruptly end the call. Since leaving academia and running my own business I just don't talk to inventors unless they are willing to pay me in advance for my time. This weeds out those who are serious with those who are just looking for free stuff. Sorry Dr. Obviousso. I just don’t believe what you are saying is true. And if you have a doctor that will talk to you about your symptoms over the phone and give you free medical advice on what you need to do before he/she sees you then that is one doctor that you should not go to see. It is irresponsible for a doctor to provide free medical advice without an office visit. Additionally, if a doctor has enough time to talk to patients who call in then the doctor is not likely very good. The same is true for patent attorneys. If you can call right in and demand to talk to a patent attorney and the patent attorney picks up the phone that means the patent attorney is not very busy, and if that is the case then you need to ask why.

This is exactly the analogy I want to use. While it is common to tell the receptionist what is wrong with you and why you want to see the doctor, it is unrealistic to think that the doctor is going to diagnose you on the telephone.

It is equally unrealistic to expect a patent attorney to provide free legal information over the phone. In the past while I was teaching full time and doing IPWatchdog as a service and not a business I would talk to inventors, who would gladly take up 20, 30, 40 minutes or longer. Then would not want to pay for any additional consultation or services. Many times I had inventors finally tell me “well, that is exactly what my patent attorney said, but I didn’t believe him and just wanted to check.” At which point I would abruptly end the call. Since leaving academia and running my own business I just don’t talk to inventors unless they are willing to pay me in advance for my time. This weeds out those who are serious with those who are just looking for free stuff.

]]> By: drobviousso http://ipwatchdog.com/2008/08/23/what-to-expect-when-calling-a-patent-attorney/id=189/#comment-92 drobviousso Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:22:21 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=189#comment-92 "How many people call doctors and say that they want to make an appointment to be seen, but first they want to talk to the doctor on the phone for free to determine whether to move forward." Erm.. I ask this all the time. Usually it's a nurse, but depending on the practice, I sometimes speak to a doctor. In fact, I never make an appointment without discussing the symptoms or reason for the visit. I'm not disputing the rest of the article, but I'm not sure this is an analogy you want to make. “How many people call doctors and say that they want to make an appointment to be seen, but first they want to talk to the doctor on the phone for free to determine whether to move forward.”
Erm.. I ask this all the time. Usually it’s a nurse, but depending on the practice, I sometimes speak to a doctor.

In fact, I never make an appointment without discussing the symptoms or reason for the visit.

I’m not disputing the rest of the article, but I’m not sure this is an analogy you want to make.

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