How Much Does a Patent Cost?
Understanding Your Competition
The more patents that come up in the search and the closer they are to your invention, the more time a patent attorney has to spend on your application in distinguishing your idea from the prior art (i.e. –existing solutions). This brings up the costs of your filing and that is why I typically wait until the search is complete to provide a fixed-fee quote. The following should make these dynamics clearer to you keeping in mind that method, software, heavy electrical, biotechnology, and chemical application fees are typically higher than shown below:
CLEAR FIELD
No Rival Solutions
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A patent application on your idea is simple to draft
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Nothing like it exists
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A clear field
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No competition
SOME COMPETING IDEAS
You have competition
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A patent application on your idea is simple to moderately complex
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Several competing solutions
HEAVILY CROWDED FIELD
Moderate competition and complex idea
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A patent application on your idea is complex to moderately complex
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Moderately crowded field
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Multiple competing ideas
* The following should make these dynamics clearer to you keeping in mind that method, software, heavy electrical, biotechnology, and chemical application fees are typically higher.