Patent Prosecution

Utility Patents

Utility patents protect the functionality of an idea. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing a utility patent application start at $5,000.00*. Generally, utility patents have a term of 20 years from the date of filing. Note that maintenance fees are due at approximately 3, 7, and 11 years after the patent has issued.

Provisional Patents

A provisional patent gives an inventor a 1-year grace period to work on perfecting the invention, selling his/her idea, obtaining financing, etc. At the end of the one year period, the inventor needs to file a utility application to “save” the earlier filing date. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing a provisional patent application start at $3,500.00*.

Prior Art Search

This is an optional step, and applicants are welcome to perform their own searches. However, please realize that a patent filed without a prior art search is filed “blind” to other patents without knowing whether there are existing patents that may narrow your patent or even prevent you from getting one. While we generally do not perform prior art searches ourselves, we do analyze the results. Please contact us for more details.

Accelerated Utility Patent Application

Under this program, a “comprehensive” Prior Art Search is required, which can cost $3,000 or more. We can then submit the application under the United States Patent & Trademark Office’s Accelerated Examination program, which has a goal of dealing with your application in one year or less. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing an accelerated utility patent application start at $10,000.00*.

Office Action Response

More often than not, a utility patent application will receive at least one office action. An office action is a rejection, at least in part, of your application. An office action response can be used to make amendments to your application, argue the patentability of your application, and to correct procedural issues. Most simple mechanical, substance, or business method office action responses can be handled for a fixed fee. Please contact us for a more specific fixed fee quote for your office action.

Appeal

Unfortunately, an appeal may be an applicant’s only route to obtain patent protection. It can involve a significant amount of time and energy to meet the procedural requirements in addition to overcoming the substantive rejections of the Examiner. Before filing an appeal, we often suggest at least on in-person interview to review the application one-on-one with the Examiner.

Interview

Applicants can request an interview with the examiner to discuss the rejection of the application. These range from informal discussions over the phone to in-person interviews with the Examiner and his or her Supervisor. We have found interviews to greatly reduce the time it takes to resolve issues with a particular patent application.

Design Patent

A design patent protects the ornamental features of an invention, such as the look and shape of a device. Design patents are particularly valuable where the function of an invention depends on its shapes. Our fixed fees for drafting and filing a design patent application start at $990.00*.

International and Foreign Filings

Our services include foreign filings, such as PCT applications, Euro design patent applications, and national stage patent applications in a variety of countries. We associate with law firms around the globe to provide our clients with a wide range of national stage options. For more information on our international and foreign filing services, please contact us.

*Please note that fixed fees cover our services only and do not include other costs such as drawings and filing fees.