Patent for a product that would be classified as a dietary or food supplement

Here is a Question that was sent to our inventingquestions@uiausa.org email that we thought others would beenefit from the answer.

Dear Madam/ Sir

I have an all natural formula for treating Haemorrhoids, which is coming from my background family, Central Asia . for the last 20 years, I have been selling this effective natural remedy in the Middle east area, and it was and it is providing people with satisfactory results for treating and eliminating Haemorrhoids.
Through my research on how to get this product licensed and patented her in North America, I found your website with its service on what I was looking for. hope I'm lucky this time.

However, in the middle of 2008, I moved to Halifax, Canada to persuade my Masters degree in Education at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, Halifax, but after couples of weeks I changed my mind and ended up in taking my Masters in MBA at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick. Throughout the courses and lectures, they gave me some insight on how to start-up my own business and how to be a successful entrepreneur and have my first step to be globally available to whom might suffer painfully in silence for such a diseases.

I'm asking you on how and what procedures to follow to get a patent for such a product that would be classified as a dietary or food supplement, since its an all natural ingredients formula.

Best Regards,

Ayman T

Hi Ayman

You certainly can patent a product that would be classified as a dietary or food supplement, assuming its an all natural ingredients formula is novel. I am concerned about your statement that your "all natural formula for treating Haemorrhoids, which is coming from my background family, Central Asia . for the last 20 years, I have been selling this effective natural remedy in the Middle east area" because it indicates that the product is publicly available and may be used as prior art against your own application. One way to get a patent is to add new ingredients which is novel over the ingredients you have sold in the past 20 years.

Good luck with your venture.
Bao Tran, Esq
408-528-7490