What is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to file a patent?

Question

I'm looking to file a patent, but have no prior experience. Can you give me as much detail as possible about the easiest way for a novice such as myself to go about doing this?

Answer 1

NOLO is a great, free informational site. Also, be sure to read what the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) has to say about patents.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

Getting a Patent:
* Patent It Yourself (11th Edition) by David Pressman
* Patents and How to Get One : A Practical Handbook by U.S. Department of Commerce
* How To Make Patent Drawings Yourself: A Patent It Yourself Companion by Jack Lo
* The Inventor's Notebook: A Patent It Yourself Companion by Fred E. Grissom

What to do Next:
* From Patent To Profit: Secrets & Strategies For The Successful Inventor, Third Edition by Bob Dematteis
* How to License Your Million Dollar Idea: Everything You Need To Know To Turn a Simple Idea into a Million Dollar Payday, 2nd Edition by Harvey Reese
* The Inventor's Bible: How to Market and License Your Brilliant Ideas by Ronald Louis Docie
* The Complete Idiot's Guide ® to Cashing in On Your Inventions by Richard Levy

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

This is the breakdown 1500 to file a provisional patent application (using a law firm) 14-20k to file the patent application (a provisional patent app is good for one year) 2-3 years waiting on a review by us patent office 2-4k for every patent rejection counter submit These numbers are subject to the number of "features" you are patenting. Bottom line....they ain't cheap or quick to complete! Once procured you then need to find a manufacturer to produce the product.

Answer 3

The fastest, easiest and cheapest way to get a patent application on file is to file what is called a provisional patent application. A provisional application allows for filing without a formal patent claim, oath or declaration, or any information disclosure (prior art) statement. The beauty of the provisional is that it locks in your priority date. In other words, your filing date for any later filed non-provisional ("regular") application will be that of the provisional. Additionally, filing a provisional patent allows the term "Patent Pending" to be applied, which can have significant marketing advantages. Furthermore, the filing of a provisional application is considered to be a patent application, which probably seems obvious, but which is exceptionally important under the patent laws of the United States. This is critical because in the US you can become prevented from filing a patent application if certain things have happened more than 12 months prior to the filing of a patent application. For example, if you sell a product for more than 12 months prior to filing an application you lose the right to obtain a patent. If, however, you have filed a provisional application less than 12 months after you start selling then you are fine. So, the moral of the story is that provisionals not only lock in your application date, but they also stop the running of any legal time bars (so-called statutory bars) which could otherwise prevent you from obtaining a patent.

A provisional application for patent lasts only 12 months from the date the provisional application is filed. The 12-month pendency period cannot be extended. Therefore, an applicant who files a provisional application must file a corresponding non-provisional application for patent (i.e., "regular patent application") during the 12-month pendency period of the provisional application in order to benefit from the earlier filing of the provisional application.

By filing a provisional application first, and then filing a corresponding non-provisional application that references the provisional application within the 12-month provisional application pendency period, a patent term endpoint may be extended by as much as 12 months. This is because the patent term will expire 20 years from the filing date of the non-provisional (i.e., "regular") application. The importance of this is that you can lock in your priority date with the provisional, apply "Patent Pending", and wait 12 months before you file the non-provisional application. The effect is that you have locked in your priority date for 12 months without the patent exclusivity term beginning to run.

I am a big fan of provisional patent applications, particularly for individuals or small businesses. Provisionals tend to be cheaper to prepare (because no claims are required) and the filing fee is only $100, which saves you $400 just on the fees due at the time of filing a non-provisional patent application. Furthermore, the Patent Office will not do anything with the provisional until you file a regular patent application claiming the priority of the provisional. This means no more PTO fees and no additional attorney's fees. In my judgment the benefits are enormous. Critical to remember, however, is that a carelessly prepared provisional is a waste of time and money. The specification and drawings need to be complete, broad in terms of what is described and specific to make sure you are meeting all patentability requirements. Cutting corners on the provisional makes it useless.

IPWatchdog has developed a unique system that allows inventors to create a provisional patent application for themselves, and that application will be every bit as complete (in terms of disclosure) as any provisional patent application drafted by a patent attorney. For more information on this see:

http://www.ipwatchdog.com/inventor_services.html

Good luck!

Answer 4

Contact the patent office in Washington DC. They will fill you in...it is a 1 800 #.

Answer 5

It isn't cheap...my husband looked into a patent...just to begin the paperwork was $9000........Wowzers eh? Good Luck..........p.s.what did you invent?

Answer 6

It might not be free for you.. but what you can do is do a search online for free...
Read more here..
http://www.my-infoworld.com/patents/Online_Free_Patent_Search.html

Patents : Do it yourself.
http://www.my-infoworld.com/patents/Do_It_Yourself_Patents.html