How much will it cost to patent an idea?
How much will it cost to patent an idea?
It will cost roughly £4,000 to apply for a patent in the UK, once a patent attorney becomes involved, according to the UK government. It varies between £3,000-£5,000.
There may also be other costs further down the line. It also depends if you want to apply for international protection and how long certain parts of your patent application are.
For example, your patent application will entail 4 parts, including a description of your product and a comment, or ‘claim’, on the legal aspect of any technicalities of your product that will be protected. If your application lists over 25 ‘claims’ or your description is 36 pages or more, the cost might increase.
The first step: filing your patent application in the UK costs £4,000.
The next 12 months: filing your International Patent Application (or PCT, which stands for ‘Patent Cooperation Treaty’) can cost between £4,000 and £5,000.
After approx. 1 year 6 months: The International search report is reviewed and a decision is made whether to continue. This can cost over £500 and up to £1,500.
After 2 years: This will depend on how many countries you apply for a patent in, which means the price can hugely vary. It can be £5,000 and tally up to £25,000.
Not everyone applies for protection internationally as you might only need a patent in the UK and in selected countries. If this is the case, the cost will be much lower.
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