Patentability search and opinion
Prior art search with a written read on whether filing is worth your money.
Registered before the USPTO
Patents drafted by people who read the code
Utility and design filings, prior art searches and office action responses for hardware and software companies. Every attorney here has an engineering degree and has sat through your kind of technical review.
12 yrsfirm practice
900+applications filed
5registered attorneys
Flat feeon most filings
Patent services
Search, file, prosecute, protect
Fees below are attorney fees and do not include USPTO filing fees, which we quote separately.
Provisional patent application
A properly supported provisional that will actually hold your priority date.
Non provisional utility application
Full specification, claims and drawings drafted with your engineers, not around them.
Design patent application
Drawing set and filing for the ornamental appearance of a product.
Office action response
Claim amendments and argument in response to examiner rejections.
Trademark filing
Clearance search and federal application for your name, logo or product mark.
About the firm
Engineers first, attorneys second
Every attorney at Harker and Voss holds a technical degree in electrical engineering, computer science or mechanical engineering, and each is registered to practice before the USPTO. That matters because a claim set written by someone who does not understand the invention gets narrowed into uselessness. We quote flat fees on most filings so your legal budget is not a mystery.
•All attorneys registered before the USPTO with engineering degrees
•Flat fees on searches, provisionals and most filings
•We tell you when an idea is not worth filing on
Reviews
From clients and general counsel
“Their search told us two of our four ideas were already covered. Saving that filing budget paid for the whole engagement.”
Wei C., Hardware startup, chief technology officer
“The claims survived two office actions with the scope we needed. Our previous firm had already given most of it away.”
Robert I., General counsel, robotics
FAQ
Patent questions we hear constantly
Should I file a provisional first?
Often yes. A provisional buys twelve months at lower cost while you develop the product or raise money. It only helps if it fully describes the invention, though, so a thin provisional written to save money frequently fails to hold the priority date it was filed for.
How long does a patent take to issue?
Expect roughly two to four years from filing to issuance for a utility patent, depending on the art unit. Accelerated examination programs can shorten that considerably, and we will tell you if your application qualifies.
Can software be patented?
Software related inventions are patentable when the claims are tied to a specific technical improvement rather than an abstract idea. Drafting matters enormously here, and it is the main reason we insist on attorneys who can read the implementation.
What does a patent actually cost all in?
For a typical utility patent, budget roughly fifteen to twenty five thousand dollars across the life of the application including USPTO fees and office action responses. We give a written estimate for the full path before you file, not just the first invoice.
Contact
Talk to a registered attorney
Bring the invention disclosure or just a sketch. The first consultation is 45 minutes and there is no charge.
Phone(629) 555-0129
Address60 South Market Street, Suite 1400, San Jose, California
HoursMon to Fri 8:30am to 6pm