David S. Alavi, PhD
        Registered Patent Agent

Costs for obtaining a patent

Obtaining a patent can be a costly enterprise. My hourly rate is $250/hour with a minimum fee ($5000) for preparing and filing a new U.S. patent application. In the table below I have summarized typical costs for preparing, filing, and prosecuting a new U.S. patent application, obtaining an issued patent, maintaining a patent in force after issue, patent searching, filing an international patent application, and managing foreign patent filings. For most new applications I require an advance deposit of at least $6000 before beginning work, and payment of any remaining balance of PTO and professional fees upon completion and prior to filing in the PTO. I provide written cost estimates before beginning work.
Effective 10/01/2023. Please note: all fees are subject to change without notice.
Download a PDF version of this table here.

Service	My Fee	PTO Fee*	Notes
prepare patent application U.S. provisional or U.S. non-provisional	$250/hr $5000-$8000 or more	$120-$2000 or more	includes supporting documents/drawings
U.S. provisional application: minimum fee	$5000	$120	includes supporting documents/drawings
U.S. non-provisional application: minimum fee	$5000	$824-$2000 or more	includes supporting documents/drawings
U.S. non-provisional application: minimum fee based on previous*** U.S. provisional application	$1000	$824-$2000 or more	***if prepared by me
simple response to PTO action	$250/hr $800-$1600
complex response to PTO action	$250/hr $1600-$4000 or more
patent post-allowance reviews and issue fee	$750	$480
patent maintenance fee: after 3 years	$400	$800
patent maintenance fee: after 7 years	$400	$1504
patent maintenance fee: after 11 years	$400	$3080
file international (PCT) application Request based on previous*** U.S. application: minimum fee	$1000	$2500-$4000 or more	***if prepared by me
liaison with foreign patent counsel	$250/hr
patent novelty searching - performed by me using PTO and Internet resources	$250/hr $1000-$2500 or more
patent novelty searching - performed by Questel (DC-area search firm) - results analyzed by me	$750	plus Questel fee	Questel would provide a quote

* PTO fees for an individual inventor, small business, or non-profit organization. Subject to change by the PTO.

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