Cost Of Idea Patenting

Filing for a patent (to protect their idea) is a fundamental necessity for those people who would like to sell their idea to manufacturing firms or companies, because unless an idea is supported by a patent filing, it is not considered worth an investment by most manufacturers.

Prior to applying for a patent for your idea, a patentability search by a professional is necessary. This will confirm whether your idea is eligible for patenting or not. A patent attorney may charge you about $1,000 - $2,500 for the patentability search. Once a patent application has been filed, you will need to pay the patent fees.

For a utility patent, the fee structure includes payment of fees under three separate categories to the United Stated Patent Office. The fee structure is as follows:
 
1) Filing fee                             $300.00
2) Search fee                           $500.00
3) Examination fee                  $200.00.
4) Publication fee                    $300.00
5) Issue fee                           $1,400.00 

However, this fee structure is not inclusive of the processing fees and expedited fees. Apart from this, there is also periodical maintenance fees payable at 3 1/2 years, 7 1/2 years and 11 1/2 years.

For a deign patent, the fee structure is slightly different.
 
1) Filing fee                             $200.00
2) Search fee                           $100.00
3) Examination fee                  $130.00
4) Issue fee                              $800.00 

However, this fee does not include the processing fees and expedited fees.  

The patent costs are higher when patent application filing is done using the services of a patent attorney and the total cost may amount to $8,000 - $12,000. However, when the filing is done independently, it costs far less although the legal advice and expertise is missing in the entire process.