Hello!

I have been working on a device that I would like to patent. The
device pertains to solving a social taboo. However, I realize that
(hopefully) once the patent is granted, my name would appear as the
inventor and anybody searching the patents database would be able to
associate my name with the invention.

While I would like to retain the rights to the patent and exclude
others from making/using the same (by patenting the invention), I am
interested in finding out if I could somehow do this without giving
out my name (my conservative background would cause problems - as the
device pertains to a social taboo).

Can I use an alias? or just my initials? Would the USPTO (Patent &
Trademark office) accept such aliases/initials and not display my
actual name on the patent (once it is granted)?? Are there any such
cases that I could use as a reference??

Thanks in advance.

TVR

Hello who ever you are: I patented a product a year ago and from my
experience the us patent office wants to know exactly who you are
befor they grant a patent. besides Who is going to see your name once
you have the patent your name never appears anywhere unless you want
it to so in other words the only people who will know who you are is
the patent officer who works on your file and your attorney. When
someone does a patent search your name does appear as the person who
patented it so maybe you should start a corporation with a different
name and file it that way.

Hello rudithanne-ga:

Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately, the patent is not granted in
a corporation's name, it may be assigned to a corporation but it must
be filed in the name of the inventor. So, I guess starting a
corporation is not going to solve my problem. Thanks anyway.

tvr-ga,
Unless your last name is extremely unique, you could contact the US
PTO and ask whether only initial could stand for your first name and
POBox is accepted as an address. Then ask a bank whether they can
provide you checks with full POBox instead of real address.

If all the above are possible, then you could set up a POBox far away
from your address and pay for or manage the correspondence transmittal
to your place.
A friend's or payed-for business address could be used instead of
POBox.

Additionally, a lawyer could help or you could find out from the US
PTO how homeless people can file for and receive patents.

Good luck.

The Patent Office requires each inventor's "full name, including the
family name, and at least one given name without abbreviation together
with any other given name or initial."  37 CFR 1.63(2).  All this
information is public record if the patent issues (and sometimes even
if it doesn't).