Posts Tagged ‘provisional patents’
How Much Does A Patent Cost?
Updated 23 July 2023 The average cost of a utility patent in the US is over $50,000. This is just the cost to file a utility patent application and the patent examination process. It does not cover the cost of enforcing your patent, which can be in the millions. All patent owners should have patent…
Read MoreHow to Find a Realistic Patent Value
Updated 15 Aug 2025. The biggest factor to determine a patent’s value: revenue. A realistic patent valuation[1][2] can be determined using many of the same techniques used to value businesses. However, it all depends on whether someone is actively copying your invention. How to value a patent all depends on whether there is product in…
Read MoreOnly Gullible Angel Investors fall for Provisional Patents
Provisional patent[1] applications are the worst things for angel investors. What is a provisional patent application? A provisional patent application, sometimes called a “provisional” or “PPA,” is the single worst thing a startup can do to “protect” themselves. And angel investors have been led to believe that this is a good strategy. I assure you,…
Read MoreProvisional Patent Applications are Always Wrong for Your Business
Updated 22 Dec 2021 Provisional patent[1] applications are misunderstood by many inventors, investors, and even patent attorneys. There is a notion that somehow a provisional patent application is good for inventors and startup companies. Let me be clear: there is nothing worse than a provisional patent application from a business standpoint. There is no reason…
Read MoreHow long does it take to get a patent?
It takes, on average, 2-4 years to get a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. But, you can change the speed based on your filing strategy. How long does it take to get a patent? Depends on your strategy. The chart above shows how long a patent was pending for the patents…
Read MoreProvisional Patent Applications Hurt Startups
Bad Strategies for Startup Patents The patent bar does a terrible job of serving smaller clients – and provisional patent[1] applications are a glaring example. In fact, they are taking advantage of them and causing harm to the clients they are supposed to serve. The graph shows a recent snapshot of office actions over the…
Read MoreShould I File A Provisional Patent Application?
You should never file a provisional patent application. Ever. In every case, a small company or independent inventor is better off by filing a complete, well-written, non-provisional patent application. One of the biggest hoaxes in the patent community is that provisional patent applications are a good thing. They are not. (You can learn more at…
Read MorePatent Financing: How startups can obtain funding for their patent applications
Note: This article originally appeared on IPWatchdog. Year after year the patent laws become more complex. It seems with every decision from the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit more detail is mandated for a patent application to be complete and for patent claims to have a fighting chance. These case law changes, as well…
Read MorePatents Need to Make Business Sense
Patents can be part of an overall business strategy, but they need to make business sense. In our business of investing and financing patent portfolios, we can only invest in patents that have real commercial value. From the startup’s perspective, there are several ways that a patent can have value. Merely having a patent pending…
Read MoreIndependent Inventors are a Walking Malpractice Suit
Independent inventors are terrifying for patent attorneys. As I began to learn patent law 20+ years ago, a senior attorney described independent inventors as “walking malpractice lawsuits”. His way of handing independent inventors was to not tell them anything, and for the client to decide the best course of action. The client had to become…
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