How long does it take to get a patent?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

BlueIron can get a US patent as quickly as six months or less in some cases.  However, many times it takes 3 to 5 years.

How do we do it?

BlueIron’s founder, Russ Krajec, had the opportunity to join a startup company where we needed patent assets as fast as possible.  In that startup, he was able to experiment with 100 patent applications to find the best way.

The answer: the Patent Prosecution Highway in the US.  Using the PCT/PPH, Russ was able to get patents issued in the US within 4-8 months very consistently.

One key to expediting a patent is proper preparation.  A patent search is critical to understand the landscape and to make sure that the claims are appropriate: not too broad but directed at an economically valuable invention.

Another key is the right strategy.  The USPTO has a program called “Track One” which has several pitfalls, but it costs about the same as a PCT application.  It is the PCT application which gets you on the Patent Prosecution Highway, which is much better than Track One.  Feel free to give us a call and we can talk about the differences.