USPTO-Registered Patent Attorney · Wisconsin · Serving the Midwest & Nationwide (414) 250-7985
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Patent Attorney for Manufacturers & Industrial Makers

Utility and design protection for machines, processes, tooling, and hard goods – plus trade-secret hygiene and freedom-to-operate. The practice formerly branded Forge & Fence, now under one roof.

Manufacturers sit on more protectable innovation than almost anyone – and file on the least of it. A better fixture, a faster process, a cleverer mechanism, a distinctive product shape: each can be a patent, a design patent, or a trade secret. The trick is knowing which tool fits which asset.

MFG IMAGE5-axis CNC cutting tool steel · 1600×900
FIG. 1The shop floor is full of protectable inventions.

Utility patents for how it works

Mechanisms, assemblies, manufacturing processes, tooling, and control systems. We draft with an engineer's eye for the claim that actually reads on what a competitor would build – and survives when you need to enforce it.

Design patents for how it looks

For hard goods with a distinctive appearance, design patents are fast, affordable, and genuinely powerful against copycats. They pair well with utility filings to cover both the function and the form.

Trade secrets and process know-how

Not everything belongs in a published patent. Process parameters, formulations, and methods that competitors can't reverse-engineer are often better kept as trade secrets – protected by the right agreements and internal hygiene. We help you sort what to file from what to lock down.

MFG IMAGEforge press / foundry pour · 1600×900
FIG. 2Process know-how: sometimes a patent, sometimes a trade secret.

Freedom-to-operate and enforcement

Before you tool up for a new product line, know whether you're clear to sell. And when someone copies you, we send the cease-and-desist, evaluate the claim, and coordinate with litigation counsel if it escalates.

Special use cases

Some corners of manufacturing have patent playbooks all their own – and they happen to be corners where this practice has hands-on engineering experience:

  • Drones & AerospaceUAV platforms, avionics, and the AI autonomy stack that flies them.
  • AutomotiveSuppliers, ADAS and software-defined vehicles, EV powertrains, and the processes behind them.
  • Green TechnologyClean energy, water technology, and autonomous environmental monitoring.

Typical trigger: "A competitor is selling a knock-off of our product," or "A customer is asking whether our new line infringes anyone's patents." Both are answerable – the sooner the better.

What we handle

  • Utility and design patents for machines, processes, and consumer hard goods
  • Freedom-to-operate opinions before a product launch
  • Trade-secret programs and invention-capture for the shop floor
  • Cease-and-desist letters and enforcement strategy
  • Portfolio strategy tied to product roadmaps
FAQ

Common questions

We've sold this product for a year – is it too late to patent?

Possibly not, but move now. The U.S. gives a one-year grace period from your own first public sale or disclosure to file. After that window, the right may be lost – and foreign rights can be lost immediately on disclosure.

Utility or design patent – which do I need?

Utility protects how a product works; design protects how it looks. Many manufacturers benefit from both. We'll tell you which carries the weight for your specific product.

Should some of this be a trade secret instead?

Yes, often. If a competitor can't reverse-engineer it from the product, a trade secret may protect it longer and cheaper than a patent, which publishes your method to the world.

Can you handle both mechanical and electronics?

Yes. The practice covers mechanical, electro-mechanical, controls, and industrial systems – the engineering background spans them.

Make something worth protecting?

Bring your sketches, prototype, or a rough description – we'll tell you what's worth protecting.

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