The government filing fees charged by the USPTO for a utility patent application is $730 and a design patent application is $380.

The above fees can be reduced if your client qualifies for a micro-entity status (have previously filed no more than 4 patents and makes no more than $150K per year), resulting in $400 for utility and $190 for design patents.

I get a lot of clients and potential clients asking me how long it takes to get a patent. In true lawyerly fashion, my answer is, “It depends.”

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is currently experiencing a backlog of over 700,000 applications. With less than 7000 Examiners, that’s a backlog of more than 100 appli…[Read more]

If you are able to source a manufacturer and develop a good relationship, that manufacturer may be willing to provide manufacturing feedback and cost information on various aspects of your design. As I mentioned, sourcing a supplier during the design phase can also be extremely valuable for numerous reasons: 1) you can gain cost feedback on…[Read more]