Speak with the best USPTO design patent attorney for successful and growing startup companies. Even the most basic inventions can benefit from an appealing and extraordinary design. That’s exactly what design patent applications are for. These unique forms of intellectual property (IP) protect novel inventions simply because of their visual and ornamental design. If you’re looking to register design protection on your top-selling products, meet with an IP lawyer Texas to find out what solutions are available. This way, you can maximize sales, revenues, and profits. Read on to learn about services from the top design patent attorneys for startups.
Initial Consultation
Before anything is submitted or filed, schedule an initial consultation with your design patent company. During this introductory meeting, you can discuss the unique visual qualities about your invention – then find out if it qualifies for intellectual property protection. Today, startups in a diverse range of industry sectors are interested in IP. Specifically, these applications can be used to defend containers, cases, jewelry, and other consumer products. For startups in the software sector, you can use a design patent for graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and hardware components. Surely, schedule an initial consultation with the best design patent attorney in the United States.
Fees Submittal
Once you’re ready to move forward, submit the required fees for USPTO design patent filing. Design patent cost can vary based on a wide variety of factors. Specifically, the attorney experience and invention complexity. The top design patent lawyers charge inventors a flat fee for their services. To file a design patent, you should expect to pay around $845. If you need a professional patent search report too, plan to add on an additional $299. In addition to the lawyer’s fees, the United States Patent Office imposes specific charges too. For small entities, the current USPTO fee is $370. If your startup is part of a larger corporation, you may have to pay the large entity fee – which is currently $740. Indeed, fees submittal is a vital step of the end-to-end design patent drafting process.
Documents Organization
At this point, it is time to get all the required documents in order. Of course, your trusted design patent lawyer will be there to help you through the process. At the beginning, you need a preamble – which simply highlights your name, application title, and a brief description regarding novelty. Then, you’ll need a feature description and set of claims. At the end of everything, you’ll need your executed declaration or oath. Speak with your USPTO-certified design patent agent for more insights on everything you’ll need.
Drawings Preparation
Illustrations are the most critical component of filing a design patent application. A USPTO registered patent lawyer in Philadelphia can help you prepare and submit accurate drawings – which provide a precise visual description for the United States Patent Office. Your attorney can recommend solutions that make the ornamental aesthetics of your invention unmistakably clear. The key to this is generally an overwhelming amount of detail. Whether you’re submitting a photograph, computer-generated illustration, or handwritten sketch – detail is essential. Certainly, speak with a design patent attorney to discuss options for drawings.
Application Prosecution
Now, you are ready to prosecute your application with a design patent agent. Once your documents are received, the USPTO will provide you with a unique filing date – as well as a designated examiner. This certified expert compares your visual design against notable eligibility requirements and comparable prior art references. If your design doesn’t currently qualify for patent protection, the examiner will notify you through an Office Action Response. From here, you have the right to argue your case and begin re-examination. Of course, this process can take anywhere from a few months, up to an entire year. Once granted, your application will be published in the USPTO’s online database.
Design patent lawyers help startup business inventors protect the unique visual qualities of their novel creations. First and foremost, schedule an introductory consultation with a qualified patent agent Boston. After a great first meeting, you’ll be charged the required fees for application drafting, filing, and prosecution. Then, you are ready to have your drawings prepared – either through computer-aided program or hand-drawn sketch. From here, it is time to get all the required documents in order. Now, you are ready to prosecute your novel application with the United States Patent Office. Follow the points above to learn about filing for design patent protection with a USPTO registered attorney.
