What is the cost of a patent versus a copywrite ?

Question

I need to know what is the difference in the cost ? For my own personnel reasons.,

Answer 1

Short answer: Copyright is free or $45 to register in the US. Patents are expensive, but coverage is different. Filing fees in the US for patents are at least $1125 or much more according to how the patent interaction is with the patent office and the financial status of the entity filing. Add to this $2500 to $10000 of costs in patent attorney or agent fees for their time and you have an idea of the cost of a patent. See the third link below for a list of fees schedules for filing a patent in the US.

Long answer:
Information about Copyrights and Patents and their differences:

Patents are the exclusive right to exclude others from producing a product protected by the claims of the patent.

A copyright is extended to any source creator when they create the material. The only cost involved is if you wish to register the copyright. The U.S. Copyright Office increased basic registration fees to $45 per application effective July 1, 2006. There are other fees for other than the basic registration that can be found by following the second link below.

From the USPTO:
A Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of “original works of authorship” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished. The 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to reproduce the copyrighted work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work, to perform the copyrighted work publicly, or to display the copyrighted work publicly.

The copyright protects the form of expression rather than the subject matter of the writing. For example, a description of a machine could be copyrighted, but this would only prevent others from copying the description; it would not prevent others from writing a description of their own or from making and using the machine. Copyrights are registered by the Library of Congress' Copyright Office.

There are times when you may desire a combination of copyright, patent and trademark protection for your work. You should consult an attorney to determine what forms of intellectual property protection are best suited to your needs.

patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Generally, the term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States or, in special cases, from the date an earlier related application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. U.S. patent grants are effective only within the United States, U.S. territories, and U.S. possessions. Under certain circumstances, patent term extensions or adjustments may be available.

The right conferred by the patent grant is, in the language of the statute and of the grant itself, “the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling” the invention in the United States or “importing” the invention into the United States. What is granted is not the right to make, use, offer for sale, sell or import, but the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling or importing the invention. Once a patent is issued, the patentee must enforce the patent without aid of the USPTO.

There are three types of patents:

1) Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof;

2) Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture; and

3) Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.

Answer 2

they're thoroughly distinctive products. A patent protects an invention, a copyright protects a resourceful product (ie a e book, action picture, music, piece of artwork). A copyright expenses $30. the charges to get a patent filed, and authorized, can run very extreme, into 10s of 1000's.

Answer 3

They are completely different items. A patent protects an invention, a copyright protects a creative product (ie a book, movie, song, piece of art).

A copyright costs $30.

The costs to get a patent filed, and approved, can run very high, into 10s of thousands.

Answer 4

A copyright is $45. A patent costs much much more. A copyright also lasts longer. A copyright lasts 50 after your death.

Answer 5

Copyright is free, though it costs a bit to register one in the US. It is not necessary to register, though. Patent can be relatively costly, and varies depending on a lot of things. (Esp. relative to 0.)

Answer 6

a patent cost lots more money and paperwork, but any one can copywrite almost anything...

Answer 7

A copy right is for printed material, and last I checked, it cost $60.

Answer 8

Patents:

There are a number of fees depending on what you're filing. See this link for further information: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/qs/ope/fee2006may15.htm#patapp

Copyrights:

The fee is $45 per application

Hope that helps!