Monday arrived, a warm breeze blowing through the open windows of their house. The ever-growing capital city is bathed in the morning sunlight as the first rays of the sun just begin to emerge over the horizon.
The siblings wake up early in the morning, excited about their trip to the patent office. Today, as promised, Patson plan to bring his son and daughter to the patent office. Both, Patrick and Patricia quickly get dressed.
While waiting for his children to get ready, Patson took his time sipping a morning coffee and enjoying his breakfast. Today's menu is pancakes, scrambled eggs and fresh fruits. The smell floated through the dining room. As always, his wife's cooking is top-notch.
Shortly after he started eating, the siblings came down. The sight of delicious meals spread out on the table, the siblings' stomachs rumble with hunger. Hurriedly, both of them take a seat and started digging in.
Patson didn't forget to remind both of his children. "Make sure you had everything assorted. It'll be a hassle if we have to turn back."
Patrick gave his father a reassuring look and added, "Don't worry, Dad. We've already packed everything we need."
With a nod of agreement, Patricia add, "And we'll double-check before we leave, just to be safe."
Patson smiled, relieved. "Good job, you two. Now let's finish up our breakfast before the carriage arrives."
Since their house was located far from the city centre, it'll take a long time to walk to the patent office. As such, the three of them had to take a carriage if they wish to arrive faster.
The trio waited in front of their house, waiting for the carriage which Patson had already booked during the weekend. While waiting, they enjoy the cool morning breeze that gently brushing across their faces while their ears capture the sound of birds chirping.
After about five minutes of waiting, they noticed the carriage coming up from a distance.
It was a classic horse-drawn carriage with polished brass trim and a sleek black exterior. The driver, dressed in a crisp uniform, stop the carriage right in front of their house.
"Good Morning." The driver greets them with a friendly smile before asking, "Sir Patson, I assume?"
"Yes, I am," Patson replied, showing a booking receipt he get to the driver as evidence.
Once confirmed, the driver promptly opens the door for them to enter. Patson, Patrick, and Patricia climbed into the carriage, settling on the plush seats which were adorned with velvet cushions.
The carriage started moving, pulled by a pair of majestic horses. Patrick opened his mouth, "Dad, don't you think you're going overboard by renting a luxurious carriage? It's not like we're travelling to another city."
Patson chuckled at his son's question. "Well, today is a momentous day for both of you. I should at least do this much."
As their embarked on their journey to the city centre, the siblings enjoyed the scenery of the capital through the window.
Despite the early hour, the city was already bustling with activity.
The market stalls were set up, merchants preparing their goods, and the store was opened for people. The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, attracting many students who were on their way to school.
The siblings immediately move away from the window, afraid of the possibility of being spotted by their classmates.
As they passed by the central square, they saw a clock tower being constructed.
Shortly after, they saw the grandeur of the patent building. Patrick and Patricia were in awe of the imposing structure. It stood majestically with neo-classical architecture as a theme, fitting nicely with all buildings around it.
The street was congested with carriages. After waiting for a few minutes, Patson, Patrick, and Patricia alighted from the carriage.
They entered the office and were greeted by friendly staff who give them a queue ticket. Looking at [18] on the ticket, Patson said to his children, "Let's take a seat first. It's gonna take a while before our turn arrives. There are still seven people waiting in front of us."
Contrary to Patson's initial assumption, the office in the early morning is far from being sparse. People were rushing around, carrying stacks of papers to and from.
As a merchant, Patson recognizes some of them. Investors, entrepreneurs and legal experts file paperwork, discuss business ideas and seek legal advice.
As Patson, Patrick, and Patricia wait, they overheard snippets of conversations around them.
"Did you hear about the news about the war? I heard that two towns have fallen." whispered one inventor to another. Tension were palpable on his face.
"The enemy is gaining ground. I also lost contact with my friends there." replied the other inventor, his face drawn with concern.
"I hope it doesn't spread to our kingdom." muttered the last one, while flipping through the stack of paper in front of him.
Patson sighed and shook his head. He too hopes for the same although the situation seems to be escalating.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, their number was called. The trio approached the counter with a mix of excitement and nervousness, bringing together all their documents.
"Good morning! How can I help you?" The clerk greeted them with a smile.
"Good morning. I came here to apply for patents for my children's inventions." Patson replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He then asked, "May we know the process we need to go through to get a patent?"
The clerk look at the children with her eyes slightly widened for a split second as she couldn't believe what she just heard. Still, she manages to retain her calmness and replied professionally.
"Certainly! To apply for a patent, the inventor needs to prepare a written patent specification, a formal document with a detailed description of the invention, its uniqueness and potential application. Also, detailed drawings and descriptions need to be included. The inventor has to clearly illustrate how the invention or process works and what it comprises. It may take a while for your children to prepare them."
Both Patrick and Patricia glance at each other. They slowly handed over the documents they prepared to the clerk. "I think we got everything here. Can you check?"
"I-Is that so?" She was seemingly surprised by their preparation. "Then we can proceed by filling out this form and pay the fees. Each form and fee is only valid for one invention."
Patson unanimously pays for his kids. It's only 500 Ryn each, so a total of 1,000 Ryn for the typewriter and the correction tape. "Fill out the form on your own, kids. Make sure you write it neatly and clearly."
The siblings sat down nervously on the chair. The forms had a lot of information they need to enter from the title of the invention, its description, claims, drawings and so on.
"What's the title of our invention again?" Patricia asked her brother, looking at him with a quizzical expression.
"It's the Typing Machine," Patrick replied, scanning through the form in front of him. He paused for a moment before turning to his sister and asking a question, "Do you think we should change the name? It sounds a bit long and we do name it abruptly."
Patricia replied with a question, "Change? To what?"
"I don't know, something shorter and easy to remember."
"Hmm...Typing machine...writing machine...Typewriting machine." Patrica suddenly exclaimed, "What about 'typewriter'?"
Her brother's face lit up with excitement, agreeing with her suggestion immediately. "Oh!! That's sound better! It's short and conveys what our invention does."
Patrick wrote that down before moving on to the next part of the form, "We need to describe how it works in this section. Bring out the notes we prepared beforehand for me."
Patricia nodded, taking out a detailed description of their innovation. He continues filling out the claims section with a fairly long paragraph, outlining the unique feature of their technologies.
After spending nearly five minutes, he finally finished. "Done! Next is [Inventor's name & contact information] and [Applicant's name & contact information (if different from the inventor)]. I'll put both of our names..." He promptly filled it.
"Next..." He read the next section, "Any prior art/existing technology/patents that the invention builds upon or improves...None. Lastly, filing fee payment information is for Dad to fill."
He handed over the form back to the clerk.
The clerk begins to flip through their documentation. "I believe there's nothing amiss with your documentation. However, the document still needs to go through the examination and approval process. The patent office would review the application for legal and technical accuracy purposes."
"How long does the review process usually take?" Patson asked.
"It could take approximately two weeks to a month considering we have less workload right now. A notification would be sent to your address regardless the application was approved or not. If it were approved, you need to bring the letter here to receive the official issuance of a patent, granting your children exclusive rights to their invention for 20 years from the date of the grant. Any questions?"
The three of them shook their heads. "I think you've given us a clear explanation. We'll wait for the approval then."
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