Design patents are easy to apply for, and inexpensive. A stepbystep overview of a patent application and maintenance process.The five stages of a patent process. A good place to start is Patent It Yourself: Your StepbyStep Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office. Search within the title, abstract, claims, or full patent document: You can restrict your search to a specific field using field names. To establish ownership, any Assignment from the Inventor(s) must be recorded concurrently with or prior to the filing of the Power of Attorney to Prosecute. Search within the title, abstract, claims, or full patent document: You can restrict your search to a specific field using field names. A viral video clip is genuine but it leaves out important context. - Peter Gattuso - Start a free trial today for full access. Although electronically signed patent assignments are acceptable for USfiled patent applications, it is recommended to obtain wet signatures from all parties.