Professor Demchick's Patent Services

Paul H. Demchick, United States Registered Patent Agent
(United States Patent and Trademark Office Registration 52,808)

Professor Demchick's Blackboard

Dr. Demchick has been a college and university faculty member for many years. On these Blackboard Pages he does a little teaching. These pages are intended as general, introductory information. Compromises were made between including details in these pages and keeping the pages readable for a general audience. These pages are not intended as legal or other professional advice.

HOW MUCH WILL GETTING A PATENT COST?

For most patent related fees paid to the he United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), "small entities" pay half-price. Small entities include individual people, several people, nonprofit organizations (even if they are huge), and small businesses. However, the definition used for small business is rather generous. Therefore "small entities" as used this way could more accurately be called "entities which are not huge, for-profit companies." There are other rules. For example, if a small entity has agreed to sell the rights to an invention to a large entity, then the large entity fees need to be paid. For the discussion below, I am assuming small entity fees.

The professional fees for patent practitioners (patent agents, patent attorneys) vary considerably. In my practice, my fees are specified in each letter of engagement. For a given practitioner, the cost of preparing, filing and prosecuting a patent application varies with how time consuming the job is. However, to give you ballpark ideas, in my practice the total cost to the client (my fees, USPTO fees, drawing preparation, Express Mail, etc.) are typically, approximately:

  • PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION (cursory patentability search, preparing and filing): $1500

  • NON-PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION (regular patent application) (patentability search, preparing, filing, prosecuting): $3000

  • NON-PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION (regular patent application) BASED ON A PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION THAT I PREPARED AND FILED (patentability search, preparing, filing, prosecuting): $1800

  • NATIONAL PHASE based on an international patent application (patentability search, preparing, filing, prosecuting): $2000

  • DESIGN APPLICATION (preparing, filing, prosecuting): $1000

    • The costs above do not include the issue fees, publication fees or maintenance fees.

    If I can be of service, please feel free to contact me.