how long does it take a lawyer to write a patent

by Nyah Hickle 9 min read

How long does it take to file a patent application?

Jun 20, 2019 · Typically, an attorney will spend 1 week to 4 weeks drafting your patent application. The time it takes to draft the application depends on the type of patent you’re applying for, the information you’ve supplied to your attorney, the complexity of your invention, and the changes you make to your application.

How to become a patent lawyer?

Oct 27, 2020 · For a patent attorney, this usually takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on the volume of work, type of patent, information from the applicant, and any changes necessary. If you file it yourself, it's just how fast you can make a draft without errors. When drafting the patent application on your own, have a patent attorney review it.

How long do you own a patent?

Jul 07, 2020 · A patent lawyer, also known as an intellectual property lawyer, represents people who wish to get a patent and be assigned a number of exclusive rights as an inventor. Patent lawyers: Prosecute and write patent applications. Advise and deal with infringement on patents and patent applications.

How to draft a patent application?

The typical time to acquire a patent from the patent office is about 32 months or less. Some technical areas may have a longer or shorter wait time as a result of the USPTO's patent requirements, which depend mostly on the invention's area and workload of expertise teams (often called artwork items) at the USPTO.

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How long does it take to get a patent?

First, if you choose to have a patentability search performed by our office, that generally takes 1 to 3 weeks to complete, depending on the volume of search results and the workload at the time. If we receive all the information about your invention ...

What happens after a patent is filed?

After filing, the length of time to patent grant depends on whether you begin with a provisional or a non-provisional patent application in the United States .

How long does a non provisional patent need to be filed?

Instead, a non-provisional patent application must be filed within one year of the filing date of the provisional application, in order to claim the benefit of the provisional application filing date. In the case that you file a provisional and then file a provisional on the one year anniversary date of the filing of the provisional, ...

Do you have to wait until you get a patent to patent your invention?

While your patent application is pending (after the patent application is filed but before the patent is granted) you will have patent pending status. You are not required to wait until you obtain a patent to start exploiting (making, marking, selling, licensing, etc.) your invention.

How long does it take to draft a patent?

Drafting a Patent Application (2 to 4 weeks) If the search turns up nothing, you're ready to draft a patent application. For a patent attorney, this usually takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on the volume of work, type of patent, information from the applicant, and any changes necessary.

How long does it take to get a patent approved?

It usually takes between 32 and 34 months for an application to get approved. This includes final rulings such as allowance (acceptance) and abandonment. Abandonment is when the applicant chooses to no longer pursue the patent. Some patents take longer to approve than others.

What is a patent pending?

Patents that have been filed but not yet approved have patent-pending status. You can use your pending patent to make, sell, and license the product during this time. The patent in question must describe and cover all elements of your invention to meet a patent-pending status. However, others might hold a similar patent pending. This gives them legal recourse to prevent you from making and selling the invention. To avoid this situation, perform a right-to-use search before marketing, making, or selling your invention.

What is track one patent?

Track One is a prioritized type of patent application. It's only available to plant and utility inventions. When filing for Track One, you must pay a bigger fee. The USPTO tries to complete its examination of Track One applications in as little as 12 months.

How long does a patent pending last?

Sometimes, you might have to file a Request for Continuing Examination or a Continuation Application. This might mean your patent pending status could last five to six years.

What happens when you file an invention?

Once you file, your invention will have patent-pending status. When drafting an application, make anyone that sees the invention sign a nondisclosure agreement. Once your file your application with the USPTO, a provisional or nonprovisional application will affect how long it takes for acceptance.

How long does it take to file a PCT?

It just allows you to file a single patent application one time to flow through several countries. Within 30 to 31 months, you must file a patent application with each country's patent office.

How long does it take to get a patent?

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the average time it takes to get a patent is about 25 months. If you want to expedite the process you can pay an extra fee ($1000-$4000) to the USPTO to get prioritized examination utility patents you can cut the time down to 6 to 12 months. A good patent attorney can help you ...

How many actions does a patent need to get before it can be filed?

Typically a patent application gets 2-3 Office actions before it gets allowed. This is because the Examiner at the USPTO may require you to identifying how your invention is different, clarify the scope of your invention, and/or change how many inventive features you are claiming.

How many hours do patent lawyers work?

Most patent lawyers work a regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday schedule, but overtime hours may be required .

How much do patent attorneys make?

Patent attorneys earn between about $212,735 and $291,628 annually according to June 2020 data from Salary.com. The median annual salary for this type of lawyer is $253,324. The variance is based on experience, specialty, physical location, and other factors.

What does a patent lawyer do?

This type of attorney specializes in obtaining protection for your intellectual property (IP). He or she will examine the invention, guide inventors through the patent application, and actually obtain a patent on the invention.

Do lawyers know patent law?

In fact, most lawyers do not know about patent law. A successful business should always hire a lawyer who specializes in patent law, and they should avoid compromising quality by doing so. The main responsibility of patent lawyers is to execute the patent rights of the client.

Can a patent lawyer work in the same capacity as a patent lawyer?

Those who have the necessary professional qualifications and pass the exam, but do not obtain a diploma, can still work in the same capacity as patent lawyers.

Does law school help with patents?

Law school alone does not provide enough understanding of how to formulate a patent application. Just because a person has passed the bar does not mean that they know how to write a patent application. Patent lawyers work in the special field of intellectual property law and specialize in patents.

Do patent lawyers have experience?

Patent lawyers are certainly not plentiful. In fact, companies that choose to serve small businesses and individuals do not always offer the best service. Patent law firms often give them a junior patent lawyer with insufficient experience.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Design Patent?

You may be wondering, “How long does it take to get a design patent?” A typical design patent will take between one and three years for approval. This may depend on whether the design is issued instantly, whether there is a dispute with the USPTO, or if modification for formal issues is required.

What Is a Design Patent?

The United States Patent and Trademark Office grants patents for legal rights to a specific design. Once granted, a design patent can provide you with exclusive rights to sell and manufactures a specific design or "article of manufacture."

When Is a Design Patent Most Useful?

If you think that the design or appearance of your product is unique, and has never been created by others before, a design patent can be extremely useful to protect the design of your product, and to prevent other competitors from mimicking that design in their own products.

How Do Design Patents and Trademarks Differ?

When something has a trademark, it has markings that indicate who it is that makes or sells the product. The purpose of a design patent, on the other hand, is not to identify the company that makes a product but is instead to protect the elements of the design. A design patent must be a new design that has never been used before.

How Do Design and Utility Patents Differ?

Utility patents typically differ from design patents in that they are much wider in scope. A utility patent can be used to protect almost any idea as long as it is new and has not been patented. Some of the common types of items protected with a utility patent include:

What Is the Relationship Between a Design Patent and an Industrial Design?

While the industrial designs of many companies operating in countries outside the U.S. are protected by those countries' legal systems, the U.S. does not have a system that protects industrial designs. In the United States, design patents are used to provide design protection.

How Many Designs Does One Application Cover?

Unlike many European companies, the United States only allows one design per patent application. Sometimes, small variations of a design might be allowed on the same patent but this does not occur often.

How to write a patent claim?

The structure of every claim should be as follows: 1 Introductory phrase – This phrase introduces the invention and often the purpose of the invention. 2 The body – This is the legal description which entails the exact ideas that you are seeking protection for. 3 Interlink between the two – This section links the body and introductory phrases. It’s important for how restrictive or permissive a patent is.

What is the most important part of a patent application?

However, it’s advisable to start off with drafting the claims section first as it’s the most important part of the patent. It forms the basis for the rest of the application. Writing the claims will also pave the path for your drawings because you’ll be sure to cover the relevant areas.

Is it easy to write a patent?

You may wish to write a patent application on your own. But it is important to understand that it is not easy to write a patent.

How long does a utility patent last?

Maintenance fees are required to maintain a patent in force beyond 4, 8, and 12 years after the issue date for utility and reissue utility patents. If the maintenance fee and any applicable surcharge are not paid in a timely manner, the patent will expire.

Who can get a utility patent?

Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or compositions of matters, or any new useful improvement thereof. By far, most patent applications filed at the USPTO are utility applications.

What happens if my USPTO application is incomplete?

If your application is incomplete, you will be notified of the deficiencies by an official letter from the USPTO, known as an Office Action. You will be given a time period to complete the application filing (a surcharge may be required). If the omission is not corrected within a specified time period, the application will be returned or otherwise disposed of; the filing fee if submitted will be refunded less a handling fee as set forth in the fee schedule. Learn more about responding to Office Actions.

What is a patent grant?

The patent grant is mailed on the issue date of the patent. It includes any references to prior patents, the inventor (s)') names, specification, and claims (to name a few). It is bound in an attractive cover and includes a gold seal and red ribbon on the cover.

When was the America Invents Act enacted?

Due to the enactment of the America Invents Act on September 16, 2011, the USPTO created this page containing forms for patent applications filed on or after September 16...

What type of protection do you need for an invention?

Determine the type of Intellectual Property protection that you need. To protect your invention, you may need a patent, trademark, copyright, marketing plan, trade secrets, or some combination of these. Before you begin preparing a patent application, find out if you really need a patent or some other form of Intellectual Property protection.

Can a patent be obtained by a person who is not skilled in this work?

While a patent may be obtained in many cases by persons not skilled in this work, there would be no assurance that the patent obtained would adequately protect the particular invention. Most inventors employ the services of registered patent attorneys or patent agents. Additional info on Attorneys and Agents.

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How Long & How Much to Get A Patent?

  • The short answer is it takes about 22-30 months and costs about $12,000-$14,000. Before you abandon all hope, read below to find out more about the patent process. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the average time it takes to get a patent is about 25 months. If you want to expedite the process you can pay an extra fee ($1000-$4000) to the USP…
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Patent Searching & Analysis

  • This step is optional, but it can help you understand what other inventions are out there, what may be novel/unique about your invention and if you may be infringing some else's patent.
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Prepare A Patent Application

  • If the patent search turns up nothing, you're ready to draft a patent application. It usually takes an attorney 2 to 4 weeks depending on the attorney's workload, the complexity of the invention, how much information is provided from the applicant, and any changes necessary.
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Office Actions

  • An office action is a rejection from the patent office indicating that your patent is not patentable because it is not novel or is obvious compared to previous inventions. As life is full of rejections, don't get too worried if your patent application gets rejected. Typically a patent application gets 2-3 Office actions before it gets allowed. This is because the Examiner at the USPTO may require …
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Abandonment Or Allowance

  • After you have gone a few rounds with the Office action you typically get a pretty good idea if your patent application will be allowable you should be abandoned. If you abandoned your patent application, it doesn't cost you anything. If your patent application gets allowed, it usually takes a couple months once you get the notice and cost about $800.
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Maintenance Fees

  • If your patent application gets allowed and issue into a patent, then the USPTO charges maintenance fees for up to 11.5 years after issues if you want to keep your patent active. You pay the first fee of $800 at 3.5 years after the patent issues, the second fee of $1800 at 7.5 years, and the third fee of $3,700 at 11.5 years. Depending on the patent and the invention you may decide …
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Why Does It Take So Long and Cost So Much?

  • At any given time, the USPTO has hundreds of thousands of patent applications being examined. In 2012, 542,815 applications were filed. As of 2014, there were only 7,966 examiners and a backlog of 604,692 patent applications. With the amount of examination required, this causes longer wait times. High-traffic fields such as computer software have even longer wait times. Al…
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