Best Consumer Protection Lawyers in Sioux Falls, SD

Usually before beginning the process of applying for a patent, it is a very good idea to have a professionally rendered patent search (prior art search) and opinion. Inventors will often use Google patents or the USPTO search engine to look for patents but each has its shortcomings. Most particular is that without the correct word choice or alternatives, many relevant documents will be missed. This is where a professional searcher comes into play. A searcher will further be able to find foreign references not easily found by Google and impossible to find on the USPTO database. Having a professional search performed may save the inventor thousands of dollars in legal and government fees if the search indicates results that negate any reasons for filing for patent protection.

At our firm, a complete service flat fee for filing a nonprovisional application will vary between $2900 and $6900 depending on the type of invention you have. The fee is determined before work starts. Because this fee covers what other firms break into separate billable services, we refer to our flat fee as being for complete service, including any drawing figures required for your application as well as all arguments (responses to the patent office) up to and until either a final rejection or an allowance of the application. Be wary of firms which offer a flat fee to file your application but leave the Office actions open ended as this will easily add several thousand dollars to your costs and when the costs will become due is very hard to predict as the first response may be anywhere from 12 to 30 months after filing. Should you decide to have a provisional application prepared, our firm charges $1,500, however you need to be aware that you will still be paying for a nonprovisional application as well if you wish to obtain an issued patent. The subsequent nonprovisional application is typically at a reduced price but you will pay a higher total overall if you opt for filing a provisional application and later attempt to obtain an issued patent for your idea. Design patents are typically billed at $1,000 per application and again include the cost of drawing figures and responses to the patent office.

The short answer is no. While there are laws in place which provide easier filing in other countries, you must still file for protection in each country you desire it.