1st Patents .com_______________________________________
Don't take chances with your patent and
patent search.
|
Home: Patents
and Patent Searches Patent Info Page To
Start Now |
Utility Patent Application for $4,495 for a simple mechanical invention, including the Patent SearchA complete professional patent search is performed including searching all related classes and subclasses with a full search report and copies of related patents. (NOTE that other services offering word searches, including concept searches, only go back to 1975. They are not complete patent searches.) Other patent firms charge at least $1200 to $2000 for a search and $8,000 to $16,000 for a patent application. But if you act now and are one of the next ten clients, you get:
Low Overhead = Low Cost: I have been a registered patent agent for over 30 years and have written and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications successfully. My fees are low because I keep my overhead low. I work at home. I do not have to cover the cost of fancy law offices and large staffs. These savings are passed along to you. The way the special works is that a $495 search fee is paid, the search performed, and the search results sent to you within a week. If the search turns out well and you wish me to proceed with the patent application, the $495 search fee is deducted from the patent fee of $4495 ($4495 - 495 = $4000 balance). An advance of half the balance is paid ($2000), the patent application is written including the drawings and sent to you usually within three weeks. Any necessary changes are made and upon your approval of the application, the balance ($2000) and Filing Fees ($545) are paid and the patent application is filed. The status is then Patent Pending. Chance to take action on your invention - You now have the opportunity to take action to protect your invention and get it into the market place before someone else beats you to it. Act now to move forward with your idea. Top Quality Work to Your Satisfaction: Although the cost is low, the quality of the applications is high, because I care about people and take pride in my work and strive for customer satisfaction. Free Initial Consultation and Flat Fee for Services with No Charges for Telephone Conversations: Some offices charge you for every phone call, every photocopy, and every postage stamp. I charge a flat fee for a patent application with no hidden charges or extra fees that might be added. You know from the beginning how much your patent protection is going to cost. For complex mechanical and electromechanical inventions the cost is now only $5,495. In addition, the Patent Office charges Filing Fees of $545. For complex system inventions the cost is now only $6,495. In addition, the Patent Office charges Filing Fees of $545. For design patents on the design of useful objects the cost is now only $1595. In addition, the Patent Office charges Filing Fees of $230. You can choose from the following options depending on your situation:
Click here to go up to the index to get to more information about patents and about our services or contact us. |
|
|
All information submitted will be viewed in strict confidence and only used by members of our global network for the sole purpose of performing the services you request. No information or ideas submitted to us will be revealed to others or used in any way for personal gain. |
|
|
What a Patent Is and What It Does for You A US Patent allows you to license your invention idea, it is like the deed to the ranch in a sense. Without it you have nothing to offer a company unless your technology can be kept secret and provide protection as a trade secret. The patent gives the inventor, or a company licensing or buying the patent rights from the inventor, the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the patented invention for a period of twenty years from the filing date of the utility patent application. What May Be Patented Patents may be obtained on new and useful inventions which are not obvious in view of previous patents or public technology. Patents are of three different types based on the nature of the invention and type of protection desired:
Important Time Factors Related to Patents If you think you may be interested in getting foreign patents, it is very important that you apply for a patent before making your invention public. Making an invention public can be offering the invention for sale or selling the invention, having it described in a publication, or revealing it to anyone without a confidential disclosure agreement where they agree to keep your invention secret. File a Patent Application in the US, Then File for International Patents Because of international agreements with most countries, you can file a US patent application and then file for international patent applications within one year of the US filing date and have the advantage of the original US filing date in the foreign countries. After one year from the US filing date you no longer have the advantage of the US filing date and, if the invention has been made public, you will not be able to file in most of the foreign countries. Canada is an exception, They allow filing a patent within two years of making the invention public. You Lose Your Right to File for a Patent If You Don't File in the US Within One Year of Making the Invention Public In the US you can actually apply for a patent application within one year of making the invention public. If you wait more than a year after making the invention public, the invention becomes public property and you are no longer able to obtain a valid patent in the US. Exceptions are make for testing of the invention. You Should Apply for a Patent Before Making the Invention Public It is always best to apply for a patent before making the invention public. If you rely on confidential disclosures to reveal the invention to others and they make the invention public, even though you may be able to sue them for breach of contract, you may still lose your patent rights because of the public disclosure. How To Obtain a Patent A patent is a complex document explaining how to make and how to use an invention including detailed drawings, so that someone skilled in the technology would actually be able to make and use the invention. It includes the technical field of the invention, the unique features and advantages, and a summary abstract. Most importantly, the patent document contains legally binding claims which determine the extent of the rights of the patent holder. The patent application, which is made to the US Patent and Trademark Office and to the patent offices of other countries if desired, must include the patent document as described in the previous paragraph, a declaration that you believe yourself to be the true inventor, information about the inventor, a transmittal letter, and the filing fees ( currently $545 for individuals or companies with fewer than 500 employees for not more than 20 total claims, including not more than three independent claims). While it is possible for an inventor to write and file a patent application, it is highly recommended to have the application written (especially the legally binding claims), filed and prosecuted before the US Patent and Trademark Office by a registered patent attorney or agent with years of experience. This may be the single most important component of your success or failure with your invention to enable you to license the invention and prevent others from infringing on your idea. Your investment in your patent protection (far less than the cost of putting a single advertisement in a national magazine) will pay for itself a thousand times over during the twenty year term of the patent. Without a well written patent you may lose everything. Patent Search | Patent Application | Contact Design Patent A design patent protects only the shape of a useful item. This is generally only important if you are a designer and are really selling the product base on its shape. Someone merely has to change the shape of the item to get around the patent. But with a utility patent, as described on the rest of this web page, the basic way that the product works is protected. Just changing the shape will not enable someone to get around the patent. Copyright A copyright protects creative expression, such as the actual words of a book or song, the actual visual appearance of objects that have no other function than the artistic, such as paintings and sculpture, or visual images which may be applied in a variety of ways, such as cartoon characters. Copyrights are obtainable through the Library of Congress. There is a "copyright information" link below to the Library of Congress. Trademark A trademark or servicemark covers only the name of a product or service. It actually protects the consumer, since the owner of a trademark must maintain the quality of the product or service so that consumers are assured of the same quality whenever they purchase a product or service bearing the trademarked name. More information about trademarks may be found at the Patent and Trademark Office by clicking the "patent and trademark information" link below. Trade Secrets A trade secret is knowledge about how to make a product, such as the formula for Coke(TM). It can only work if the trade secret may not be discovered by someone analyzing the product. It is only effective as long as everyone who knows the trade secret keeps it a secret. |
|
US Patent SearchFree Patent Search by Registered Patent Agent: For a limited time patent searches will be free with a patent application. The way it works is that you pay only $495 for the patent search and if the invention is patentable and you have me prepare your patent application, the patent search fee is deducted from the patent application cost, so you get the search for free. Act now. A small percentage of the time a patent search will reveal that the exact invention has already been patented. In those cases, there would be no patent application, so the free patent search with a patent application offer would not apply. A US patent search, the usual first step to determine patentability, can be performed for a search fee of $495 paid in advance as a retainer. Your patent search will be performed and evaluated by me as an experienced patent agent with the knowledge of where to look and what to look for. It is a complete patent search of all the related classes and subclasses from the beginning of the patent system to the present. NOTE: other search services performing only a word search, including a concept word search, only go back to 1975. They are not complete patent searches. A Patent Search Report and copies of related patents will be reported to you normally within one week. You will be getting the best complete and thorough patent search possible. If you would like to proceed with your patent search, see the instructions to start a patent search for submitting your confidential information and payment. |
|
US PatentIf your invention is patentable based on the patent search, a US utility patent application or design patent application can be written and filed, including patent drawings, normally within four weeks upon your approval for a patent preparation fee of $4,495 to $6,495 including the patent search plus the $545 Patent Office Filing Fees. Typical fees for US patent preparation are listed under Patent Fees on our related web site, DonMeekerAssociates.com, normally with discounts for full advance payment. To proceed with an initial US Patent Application, click here. To proceed with an initial Design Patent Application, click here. |
|
International PatentsInternational patents filed within one year have the US filing date as a priority date. If you choose to file for foreign patents based on a US application, you can file through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) initial filing process for $4,500 (if the patent has 20 claims or less and the total number of pages, including drawings, is less than 27). The PCT filing process is recommended if you are uncertain of which countries you will eventually select for patent filing or if you wish to delay the filing in individual countries, which often requires substantial fees for translations. Alternately, we can file patents directly in individual countries (costs available upon request). A European Patent filing process delays individual country filing in a similar fashion to the PCT. The process allows designating desired European Union countries and many former Soviet Union countries by extension. To start a PCT International Patent Application, click here. |
|
| Contact
me:
by Email to dm@1st-patents.com by mail to Don Meeker Email: dm@1st-patents.com Phone: 800-434-6297 or 212-543-1275 (best time to reach me in the office is from 1-6 PM East Coast Time) FAX: 888-234-4426 I am happy to answer any questions and be of service to you in protecting your ideas. Thank you. We have a strict privacy policy and will not reveal any information given to us. Thank you for your interest in 1stPatents.com, Don Meeker |
We have a strict privacy policy and will not reveal any information given to us. © 2002 Don Meeker |