Patent Applications
Many new and not-so-new inventors can find the patent application process murky, time-consuming and, often, expensive. And they are not wrong, in many cases. There are forms that must be filled out a certain way, descriptions of the invention that must have various details, patent illustrations that must be on certain paper and include specific items. All this is not including the needed patent searches and prior art listings. A well-done patent application takes time and expertise, and that is part of where the expense comes in.
All is not lost, though, for the new inventor or for those seeking to proceed through the process, while still keeping within a small budget. You’ll have to work smarter and should work closely with a patent attorney (it’s cheaper in the long run,) but there are some things you can do to keep the costs down.
Be Strategic
What should you do first? First, find out what must be done, then find out what you can do yourself, and what should be done by a professional. Like patent searches—there is no reason why the initial searches cannot be done by you, as long as you know where to begin (easy to find this out online.) The final searches should be done by professionals, but you will have part of the work already done, so that they can spend their time only on the deep searches.
Filing a provisional patent application from the beginning, instead of starting with a non provisional patent application, also will save you money. You can use the “patent pending” term for 12 months, while you test out the marketability of your invention, without paying all the extra cash.
Go Professional, Where Possible
You’ll no doubt come across companies that promise to patent your invention and get it on the market for a certain fee, but it’s advisable to be cautious with these companies. And even with patent lawyers who promise cheap, quick fixes. Sometimes cheap and quick winds up costing consumers down the road, whereas “done right the first time” can save you hundreds of dollars in unnecessary fees.
Contact your Patent Attorney to learn more.
