how much does a patent cost without using a lawyer

A basic utility patent, also called a non-provisional patent, will cost between $5,000 and $15,000 to file. USPTO filing fees are $330, the patent search fee is around $540, plus a $220 examination fee, driving up the total cost to over $1,000, not including attorney fees.

Full Answer

What is the average salary of a patent lawyer?

Contact the United States Patent Office and file a provisional patent application for $65 File a non-provisional patent application with a $400 fee If you receive the patent pay a patent issue fee of $450 Maintenance fee 3.5 years after issuance $400 7.5 years after issuance $900 11.5 years after issuance $1,850.

What is the average cost of a patent attorney?

May 15, 2018 · How Much Does a Patent Cost? The cost of a patent can vary greatly depending on several factors, such as the type of technology involved in the invention, attorney fees, and where the invention is being patented. The first associated fee is the patent application, which can cost you as little as $65. It’s important to know, however, that this fee differs based on whether …

How to find a good patent lawyer?

Apr 18, 2022 · In addition to research and development costs, patent attorneys and filing fees are required. Patents are typically priced between $50,000 and $100,000 in the United States. How Much Is A Patent...

How to become a patent agent?

Founder & Principal Patent Attorney A typical utility patent costs about $10,000 to $20,000 dollars. Generally speaking, a design patent is well below that range, and a software patent may be more. You’re probably saying, “Wow! That’s a big range!” But the truth is, how much a patent costs depends on its complexity.

How can I get a patent with no money?

The Patent Pro Bono Program attempts to match inventors with registered patent agents or patent attorneys. These practitioners volunteer their time without charging the inventor. However, the inventor still must pay all fees that are required by the USPTO; these cannot be paid by the practitioner.Mar 1, 2018

What is a poor man's patent?

A poor man's patent is essentially writing out a description of your invention and then mailing that written description to yourself. This postmarked envelope supposedly acts to create the date of your invention as the date this written description was postmarked.

How much does a simple patent cost?

between $8,000 and $10,000Applications for simple mechanical inventions are usually between $8,000 and $10,000, while medical device and software inventions generally cost between $12,000 and $14,000. Particularly complex applications can cost $20,000 or more. To file a patent application, you will also need to pay the government filing fee.

Can I file a patent myself?

You can file a patent application on behalf of yourself or your co-inventors. Alternatively, you can hire a registered patent agent or attorney to file your application for you. Patent applications require both legal and technical expertise and even small mistakes can dramatically compromise the value of the patent.

Can you patent an idea without a prototype?

Many inventors wonder if they need a prototype prior to patenting an invention. The simple answer is “no'. A prototype is not required prior to filing a patent application with the U.S. Patent Office. While prototypes can be valuable in developing your invention, they can also be costly.

Is getting a patent worth it?

The primary benefit of a patent is the right to stop your competitors from selling the same product. You can become the sole supplier of the product. Based on the law of supply and demand, lowering the supply allows you to sell your product at a higher price. If sales are strong, then the patent is absolutely worth it.Aug 6, 2019

How much will companies pay for a patent?

If the corporation makes an offer, it will typically be anywhere from $50 thousand to $8 million, and can be higher. On the other hand, an inventor trying to simply market an issued patent to corporations, is likely to get anywhere from $5,000 to $35,000.

How long does it take for a patent to be approved?

about 22 monthsAccording to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), it takes about 22 months to get patent approval after going through the steps to file a patent. If you're eligible for a prioritized examination for plant and utility patents, known as Track One, you might get approval in six to 12 months.

How long is a patent good for?

20 yearsA U.S. utility patent, explained above, is generally granted for 20 years from the date the patent application is filed; however, periodic fees are required to maintain the enforceability of the patent.Feb 25, 2021

What are the 3 different types of patents?

There are three types of patents - Utility, Design, and Plant. 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.Jan 31, 2019

What can not be patented?

What cannot be patented?a discovery, scientific theory or mathematical method,an aesthetic creation,a scheme, rule or method for performing a mental act, playing a game or doing business, or a computer program,a presentation of information,More items...•Dec 14, 2020

How can I get a patent fast?

The easiest and most potent way to expedite examination is to use the USPTO's Prioritized Patent Examination Program (also known as "Track One"). Under the program, an applicant pays an extra fee (ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the applicant company's size).Mar 13, 2017

What is a patent lawyer?

Patent lawyers often manage a team of specialists: technicians with expertise in the field, illustrators to make figures and paraprofessionals that make sure the filings are complete. All of this adds up, and quickly, making utility patents expensive.

Can an inventor draft a patent?

In the United States, inventors can submit a draft patent application and, within a year of filing, convert it to a full utility application. Provisional patent applications have fewer formalities so they are less expensive to draft. The subsequent utility application can also fix and refine the application.

What is utility patent?

Utility Patents. Utility patents protect specific kinds of things: machines, methods or systems. There are other kinds of patents that exist, which do not require such complex applications or drawn out prosecution. A design patent, for example, protects the way an invention looks.

What is limited scope?

Designed for the fashion industry, it does help a person retain their brand appearance and name. In a limited niche, it remains a strong patent to protect artists and designers from infringement by much larger entities .

Can an invention be patented?

These deal with vegetation and genetics of plants. Inventions can fall under more than one category and can be patented under both categories. Each patent offers a different set of protections. The time it covers an idea or an invention, which are also listed differently. The point of the patent remains to get some protection of your idea or invention so that you receive the money from it and not someone else who borrows it without your permission.

What is the purpose of a patent?

A patent protects an invention and the cost of the process to get the patent will depend on the type of patent (provisional, non-provisional, or utility) and the complexity of the invention.

How much does a provisional patent cost?

Filing a provisional patent application can cost as low as $65. However, provisional patent applications typically cost between $5,000 and $9,000 plus legal fees.

What is prior art in patents?

Prior art is any idea or product that already exists. After you have an original idea, you are ready to file a patent application.

How much does it cost to file a non-provisional patent?

Filing a non-provisional patent application is more expensive and costs about $900.

What is a design patent?

A design patent is another, more limited, patent option which protects a product's unique appearance only. Design patents are commonly used to protect apparel and fashion pieces, the shape of medical products, and the way manufactured goods look.

How much does it cost to get a plant patent?

This plant can't be grown by tubers, types of underground plant storage structures, or found in an uncultivated state. Filing a plant patent application costs between $360 and $720.

How much does an inventor pay for a patent?

While the USPTO decides if an invention is original by using its own patent search, many inventors pay between $1,000 and $3,000 for professional patent searches before they send their applications.

Utility Patent

The utility patent is the most common type of patent. It’s used to grant license ownership for things like new machines, chemicals, and processes. This patent provides protection for the way a product or process works.

Design Patent

A design patent is a patent that protects the actual appearance or design of a manufactured product. This patent doesn’t protect the structure or features of a product, but rather how it specifically looks.

How to Determine if Something Can Be Patented

To qualify for a patent, your invention has to be different enough from other similar inventions. It must also be “non-obvious”, which means that someone within that field of invention must consider it an unexpected invention.

How the Patent Process Works

To get a patent, the invention must apply for one within one year of publicly announcing their invention. Before you apply for the patent, the inventor should do a preliminary patent search to determine if their invention has already been patented, or if trying to patent it is feasible.

How Much Does a Patent Cost?

The cost of a patent can vary greatly depending on several factors, such as the type of technology involved in the invention, attorney fees, and where the invention is being patented.

Factors that Affect How Much a Patent Costs

The type of patent and complexity of the invention aren’t the only costs involved in the patent process. If you’re an individual filing a patent application, you’ll pay less than a large business would. And if your invention involves a lot of technology, the price will be inherently higher.

Should You Get a Patent?

Not sure if your invention needs a patent, or if it’s worth the application process? Here are some questions you should ask yourself before applying.

How much does a plant patent cost?

Generally, the plant patent cost will be between $10,000 – $40,000.

What is the most important thing to remember about design patents?

So, the most important thing to remember about design patents is that what you own at the end of the day is the 3D appearance of the object, not what it does (which is what utility patents cover), but instead what it looks like.

What is the first true up front cost?

The first true up-front cost is the time and effort it takes for the inventor to conceive the invention. This is a major and essential part of the actual invention process.

What is a continuation patent?

A continuation is much like a divisional, in that it is a child of and most come from a parent patent application. Different from a divisional, a continuation is filed optionally when additional (new) claims are sought for an invention.

What is provisional application?

A provisional application is a less formal version of an application when compared to the non-provisional patent application. It does not require a particular format or explicit claims — the critical component of the non-provisional patent application.

How much does a patent cost?

How much does a design patent cost? A design patent application will cost about $2,000 to $3,500. After submission, examination costs will be around $1,000 to $2,000. In total, you’ll spend about $3,000 to $5,500 for a design patent as long as the examination goes smoothly. Read below to learn about best practices to maximize the benefit ...

How long does it take to get a patent?

However, the key to select your patent attorney about 6 to 8 weeks in advance before the product launch date.

What is a design patent?

August 19, 2019 by James Yang. A design patent protects the look of a product and not the function of the product. If you need a design patent, continue reading to learn more about costs and best practices. How much does a design patent cost?

Can a product be protected by a patent?

Products in all categories can be protected by a design patent. See the examples below. However, not all products should be protected by a design patent. If you are trying to protect the exact look of a product, then design patents work great.

Is the allowance rate higher for a patent?

The allowance rate for a design patent application is higher than the allowance rate for a utility patent application. Moreover, because the cost to prepare and submit the design patent application is slightly higher than the cost to conduct a design patent search, many inventors don’t do a patent search for their design to find out if they can get a patent on it.

What does a QUALITY patent or patent application look like?

Before we dive into the discussion of costs, let’s talk about quality. If you search for a “cheap patent application” in Google, you will get a lot of hits on google with quotes lower than the costs that I mentioned above. However, those low-cost patents generally of dubious quality.

Expensive does not always mean high quality

Quality and cost have a direct relationship with each other. In general, very cheap patents have very low quality. However, very expensive patent applications don’t necessarily mean that the patent is of very high quality. The quality between a mid-priced and a high-priced patent might be equal to each other.

Should you hire a patent attorney?

Yes, you should hire someone to help you through the patent process. It is too nuanced to do it yourself properly.

Breakdown of patents cost

Because the cost for a patent application and patent is so much, you must be asking why a patent costs so much.

Is it worth it to hire a patent attorney?

A good patent attorney is worth the money. I’ve seen many transferred in cases and most of them are not of good quality. Just because you paid money for your patent or patent application, it doesn’t mean that you have a quality patent or patent application. The quality of a patent application can depend on many different factors.

Related questions

The cost for a patent on a mobile application will be about $15,000 to $25,000. The cost depends on the complexity of the mobile application and also other factors.

Table of Contents

Average Cost to Patent An Idea

Cost to File A Patent Application

Patent Costs by Type

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does It Cost?

• How much does it cost to patent an idea? This is a critical question when youre starting the patent application process. The cost to apply for a patent is only part of the total patent fees that inventors must consider: revising, prosecuting, issuing and maintaining a patent all add to the cost. You can do a lot to keep the cost to file a patent down and much of it you can do before yo…

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The Cost of Each Patent Application Type

Factors That Can Affect A Patent's Cost

More Costs Connected with Filing Patents

• A patent can cost from $900 for a do-it-yourself application to between $5,000 and $10,000+ with the help of patent lawyers. A patent protects an invention and the cost of the process to get the patent will depend on the type of patent (provisional, non-provisional, or utility) and the complexity of the invention.

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Example of Costs For A Patent

Frequently Asked Questions