Posted by grim (206.162.192.40) on September 30, 2002 at 15:10:59:
In Reply to: Re: A device that works - provisional patent posted by Rainer on September 30, 2002 at 13:34:48:
Hi Ranier
Back in 2001, it was seventy-five dollars US. I believe now its around eighty, all fees went up. You can check the fee schedule at www.uspto.gov, they are published there. The non-provisional utility application fee right now is three-hundred seventy-five, and if granted, the final fee is seven-hundred. These non-provisional figures are if you file yourself, no attorney doing it for you. They send you a guide book of criteria to follow, and if you read each section and follow it EXACTLY as written you can do it yourself. If you have the cash a patent attorney can do it for you but the price is high. The provisional is NOT examined, it just affords you one year's protection to scope out your market. If you go all the way with it, beware of companies' non-disclosure agreements. They can be one sided, and companies are out for THEIR gain, not yours. Get an attorney versed in patent law to overview any non-disclosure contracts before you sign them. An attorney can write you a fair non-disclosure, but don't be surprised if the companies back off when confronted by a contract that affords you legal recourse too.
----grim