Posts Tagged: "nonprovisional patent applications"

When Should a Do It Yourself Inventor Seek Patent Assistance?

When setting out on a new endeavor it is not wise to pursue a path to the end and then ask whether what you did was correct. You should seek help along the way to make sure you are doing what is required. Otherwise you are likely to get to a point where the most economical solution is simply to start over.

Patent Cost: Understanding Patent Attorney Fees

Fees for patent attorneys are going to vary quite significantly depending upon the geographical market and the attorney’s level experience. Based on 2011 economic data, the national average for a partner level attorney is $441 per hour, the national median is $410.00 per hour, the 25th percentile is $325.00 per hour and the 75th percentile is $535.00 per hour. Cities like Boston, New York and San Francisco tend to be the most expensive (where the average is $555 to $570 per hour). Texas, Chicago and Washington, D.C. also tend to be more expensive than most other parts of the country, but not as significantly so when compared to Boston, New York and San Francisco.

US Patent Office Fees

The United States Patent and Trademark Office current fee schedule went into effect on January 1, 2014, and was last revised on April 1, 2015… The lesson here is that fees can add up quickly. It is true, however, that once you file an application it will likely be many months (or perhaps years) before the Patent Office will get back to you so you can usually stagger these additional fees.

The Cost of Obtaining a Patent in the US

Estimating US patent costs is a difficult matter because so much depends on the technology involved, but answering “it depends” is not particularly insightful or helpful. What follows are some general ballpark estimates, which should give at least some guidance when trying to budget for the filing of a patent application at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

How to Know When You’re Ready to File a Nonprovisional Patent Application

Holding a provisional patent application pending, but failing to file a nonprovisional patent application by the one year deadline, means you lose the right to that filing date, and could potentially lose ownership rights to the invention. This outcome is fine if you have done your research and determined that the invention cannot support a viable business. It’s not fine if you haven’t completed all of your research prior to the deadline. Unfortunately extensions are not possible.