Patent costs + prototyping costs

[matrignano]

Hi,

2 noob questions for you experts :

1) I came up with a design that I would possibly like to patent. I have had a quick Google and it appears that nothing similar exists yet.

How do I go about patenting this design? I seem to understand that one can apply for an international patent, does anyone have any direct experience with that?

Also, once the design is patented, what is the extent of the cover? For example, if someone altered some dimensions and shapes, but retained the key functionality of the patented design, would I still be protected?

Until the design is patented, can I protect myself with Non Disclosure agreements, or are they worthless?

2) Once I have my nice (patented) design done in CAD, how much does it cost to build a prototype, by SLA for example? The design is about 2 x 1 x 1 inch.

How do I get a quote on unit manufacturing costs, knowing that it will be made out of plastic? Any places with simulators, or who do quotes for free?

Any tips will be muchos appreciated

[Golfman]

Search here first:

http://gb.espacenet.com/

Then contact [e-mail] say James @ BMS passed over his details.

TM Gregory are the patent attorneys I use, they are very helpful and not extortionate prices!


Then you can easily get a 3D model made from CAD with these guys:

http://www.zcorp.com/

contact: [e-mail] again mention James @ BMS...

[egomeister]

matrignano said:

Hi,

2 noob questions for you experts :

1) I came up with a design that I would possibly like to patent. I have had a quick Google and it appears that nothing similar exists yet.

How do I go about patenting this design? I seem to understand that one can apply for an international patent, does anyone have any direct experience with that?

Also, once the design is patented, what is the extent of the cover? For example, if someone altered some dimensions and shapes, but retained the key functionality of the patented design, would I still be protected?

Until the design is patented, can I protect myself with Non Disclosure agreements, or are they worthless?

2) Once I have my nice (patented) design done in CAD, how much does it cost to build a prototype, by SLA for example? The design is about 2 x 1 x 1 inch.

How do I get a quote on unit manufacturing costs, knowing that it will be made out of plastic? Any places with simulators, or who do quotes for free?

Any tips will be muchos appreciated

As has been mentioned it's worth having a thorough search of the patent website above to see if any similar things have been listed before, then get in touch with a patent specialist - I think my previous company used AA Thornton.

Be aware that obtaining and maintaining patents is very expensive, especially when you are covering the idea in multiple territories... Also, when you apply for your patent it is free for anyone to look at, so make sure your application is as broad as possible to cover as many versions of achieving the same effect as possible. I'd say non-disclosure agreements were pretty worthless as if the idea is good enough someone will try to copy it/change it anyway. Dimension changes wouldn't matter to the patent people, its the concept of how the device works that is protected.

As for manufacture, I'd guess at about £200ish for an SLA of that size (however all ours is done in house so I've never had to deal with a quote so I could be wrong!)

Protomold ( http://www.protomold.co.uk ) have a decent online quoting facility which should be able to provide you with design feedback and prices for plastic components as well as the prototype.

If you need any more help give me a shout.

[matrignano]

Thanks for your input guys, I guess I'll start by contacting a patent attorney!

[AlexB]

If you are serious then you must speak with a patent attorney before disclosing your idea to anyone. Non-Disclosure or confidentiality agreements are useful, but if one is breached then you could need court time to sort it and that is more expensive than keeping quiet and getting the patent on file in the first place.

The costs depend on the nature of the patent - initially you will be paying most of the money for a patent attorney's time to draft a specification for you, after that you can end up paying quite significant official fees in various patent offices around the world. You should probably budget anywhere between £2000 and £4000 +VAT for an initial patent filing - they can be much more expensive if complex, but it is rare that a complete application could be filed for less (but it is possible!). Again a patent attorney should be able to advise the most cost effective ways in which to do things. Once an application is filed its content remains confidential for 18 months, after which it is published.

Another sensible place to search is the US Patent and Trademark Office as they allow full text searches: http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html

You need to be clear whether you want a patent or a registered design - since you mention design a few time in your post....

Basically
Patent - protects the way in which something works - has technical limitiations to its scope of protection
Registered Design - protects the way that something looks/feels - has aesthetic limitations to its scope

Hope that helps....
Good Luck
Alex