Typical Costs Associated with Obtaining a Patent
The topic of costs is a prime consideration, especially in today's economy. One of the main reasons I am here is to make obtaining a patent more affordable to the common man, because it is clear to me that it is from the efforts of individuals that great industries are born. This is a natural metaphysical phenomenon, owing to the fractal nature of the universe, and it necessarily follows that an organic entity created by a man will have a life cycle. Just as individuals, cultures, governments, and other man-made organic entities experience a life-cycle, so too is it with companies. And it is during the adolescent to mid-life stage of the company that you will create with your invention that it will provide the most benefit to our society and posterity. However, before your company can reach adolescence, it must survive its infancy. Old, well-established companies are geriatric in nature, they tend to not take risks, and the main benefits they provided to society have already been conferred. Old companies main defense mechanism is to squash little baby companies before they get too big.
We believe that a person should seek a patent to derive a business advantage by which they can stop competitors from making, using, or selling their invention in the US. Another good reason is to get the patent and try to sell the patent. A patent also looks good on a resume, and if spending a couple thousand dollars to get a patent helps land a person a job they couldn't have otherwise have obtained that pays well, then I'd say this is a valid reason to seek a patent. Patents are evidence of a creative mind, and companies like creative minds.
Below is a typical breakdown of costs associated with obtaining a patent in the United States through us as of October 2000. If an individual is quoted prices that are much more, or much less than those listed, then something may be amok, and the individual may do well to inquire as to why the costs deviate from those listed. Please pardon the appearance of this website, I am an amateur at this.
Patentability
Search $ 500 -
1200 (US only) We do most searchers for $595.
Higher prices for complex inventions in
crowded arts. You receive a formal written report,
copies
of relevent patent references, and a detailed cost breakdown
of
how much it should cost you to patent that invention.
Application
Preparation $ 1400 - 6000 + This is
normally the largest cost associated with
obtaining a patent. For very simple inventions, and
some Provisional Patent Applications, the cost
may be near the $ 1400 figure. Most typically,
though, an invention of "average" complexity
costs about $ 2800 - $ 4300 to prepare an application.
This varies on the complexity of the invention, as
the amount of time required to prepare the
application determines the cost. A new printing
press takes more time to write up than
a new fusebox. We can often prepare a provisional
application
for as low as $ 1500, including the filing fee.
Always
get a commitment on price from who you hire.
Filing Fee (to
gov't) $ 500
For
small entities. This is the fee that goes to the
government when the application is filed.
Drawings
$ 175 - 1200 This is for the preparation of formal
drawings,
when required, by a draftsman which comply with
all requirements set forth by the patent office
for drawings. For most inventions, it is about
$ 450. We often do informal drawings free
for the inventor, which drawings are
sufficient for purposes of examination of the
invention on the merits of patentability. This saves
you money at the early critical stages when cash is short.
Prosecution Fees $ 0 - about $ 1500 This is for paying your representative to amend and argue your case for you in the US Patent Office, if it is rejected. Sometimes only one response is needed. Sometimes, two are needed. Occassionally, none are needed. I tell inventors to budget for two responses at about $ 700 each. A good guide is to figure on about $ 1400 or less on prosecution fees. These are spread out over the prosecution of the patent by your Practitioner, and may not be needed for about a year after the case is filed.
Issue and Publication Fee $ 1000 This is the combined total for the fee you pay to the government, for the publication, printing, and issuance of your patent at the end.
If you go through a law firm, you should expect to pay much more than the above
prices. I've heard all sorts of stories, like my
client who paid a law firm in Michigan over $ 5800 and all he got was a patent search.
Then there's our client from Arizona who said he was quoted $ 3500 to
have a provisional application prepared ! These situations are somewhat commonplace. We had a
couple in California who were quoted $ 12,000 for a patent, which we did for less than
half of that. caveat emptor !
I believe that the best thing an inventor can do is to find a Practitioner who
will give an estimate from which they will not deviate, just like any other common law
occupation such as a plumber, roofer, or auto repair does. It is also a good idea to
ask for references of past clients. If they are unwilling to provide references,
then something may be probably wrong that they don't want you to know.
We always provide references when asked by serious clients, and only request that if you
use us to get your patent that you allow us to use you as a reference in the future when
other prospective clients come knocking on our door.
I hope this has helped. If not, email us for answers to your specific questions. If you want a price breakdown for obtaining a patent on your invention, we can provide this to you for just $ 50. I do this for free for people who use us to conduct the patentability search aspect. Otherwise, I'd like to continue to do this for free for everyone, but I found that I was spending a substantial portion of the day giving cost commitments to those who were only casually curious. In general, you should expect to pay about $ 6500 - $ 8000 total, all said and done, for patenting an invention of "average" complexity.
Thanks for visiting.
Kind regards,
Christopher J. Whewell, M.S.
Registered Patent Agent
Western Patent Group
6020 Tonkowa Trail
Georgetown, Texas 78628
chrisw@patentsearcher.com
or call (888) 301-6774 TOLL FREE
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