Size ESigning Patent For Free

The theory behind the ?poor man's patent? is that, by describing your invention in writing and mailing that documentation to yourself in a sealed envelope via certified mail (or other proof-of-delivery mail), the sealed envelope and its contents could be used against others to establish the date that the invention was ...

The cheapest way to get "Patent Pending" status is to file a provisional patent application. All that is required is a detailed description of the invention, an informal drawing, and a synopsis of how you came up with the idea. For small entities, the application fee is $130 and for large companies it is $260.

If you can't afford to pay for the cost of getting a patent, you can consider selling or licensing your patent rights. If you're able to convince someone to licence your invention then you can use the proceeds to pay for the patent. You can sign a contract assigning the rights to a third party.

A patent application is subject to the payment of a basic filing fee and additional fees that include a search fee, an examination fee, and issue fee. The fees vary with the type, content, and size of the application being filed and the entity status of the applicant.

A patent attorney will usually charge between $8,000 and $10,000 for a patent application, but the cost can be higher. In most cases, you should budget between $15,000 and $20,000 to complete the patenting process for your invention. Previous: Why should you file a patent application? Next: Is your invention valuable?

The Patent Pro Bono Program attempts to match inventors with registered patent agents or patent attorneys. These practitioners volunteer their time without charging the inventor. However, the inventor still must pay all fees that are required by the USPTO; these cannot be paid by the practitioner.

The specification, including the description, claims, and abstract, must have lines that are 1.5 or double-spaced in a single column of text. The text must be a nonscript font (e.g., Arial, Times Roman, or Courier), preferably with a font size of 12.

The official patent cost for filing a patent application are ?1,600 for an individual or ?4000 for a small or ?8000 large entity.