Patent Applicatons: Reducing Costs
As the economy undulates up and down, many people seek ways to cut costs. Inventors are no exception. If you are thinking about registering a patent, consider the following tips to help reduce the application fees, which I also share with my patent clients.
Be up-front. Provide your patent attorney with a complete and detailed description of the invention early in the application process. This reduces the need for later revisions, which increases costs. Attorneys often charge based on the amount of work performed. Therefore the total application price may increase if there are numerous updates and revisions. For instance, I usually charge a flat rate for preparing the application, but any work that needs to be done after that is completed on an hourly billing rate.
Be knowledgeable. Patent attorneys are experts at intellectual property law, but they may not be as well versed in the subject matter of your invention. It is therefore crucial that you provide them with enough of this information to complete the patent application. Giving your attorney sufficient information about the particular field of science or engineering relevant to your invention eliminates the need to engage in extensive research, which may also drive up costs.
Be complete. Before applying for a patent registration, have a complete idea, with sketches or drawings of your invention. Adding new features and alternate embodiments after the attorney has already drafted the application can further impact costs. While you do not need a prototype to file an application, I usually advise that my clients build a prototype. Seeing the invention in action and testing it often reveals features that need tweaking and improvement. It can be costly to add these updated features once I have filed the patent application.
What do these tips have in common? Communication. As with many attorney-client relationships, it is important to be open with your attorney. In any event, your patent attorney will likely let you know if you have provided sufficient information or if more information is needed.
