The Importance of Putting Patent Number on Product

After you have gone to all the trouble and expense of obtaining a patent for your invention, please remember to take the next step toward getting the maximum protection for your invention - put your patent number on your product.

Under 35 U.S.C. Section 287, if a patent owner fails to put the patent number on the product, the infringer is not liable for damages until he receives actual notice of the patent. If the patent number is on the product, infringers are presumed to have constructive notice, so they can be liable for damages from the time they first begin to infringe. The difference between marking the product with the patent number and not marking the product can make a great difference in the amount of damages that can be recovered in an infringement action, so please put your patent number on your products.