Category Archives: Invention & Patents

How to File a Provisional Patent Application: A Step-by-Step Guide for Inventors

A provisional patent application costs $160-$320 to file and buys you 12 months of Patent Pending status. Here is exactly what goes into a strong provisional filing and the step-by-step process.

Patent Prior Art Search: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Get One Done Right

A prior art search can save you thousands before you file a patent. Learn what it involves, common mistakes inventors make, and how a licensed P.E. firm approaches it differently. PartSnap offers patent prior art searches starting at $200.

Patent Inventor vs. Patent Owner: Why Proper Attribution Protects Your Invention

One of the most common — and most dangerous — misunderstandings in the patent world is confusing inventorship with ownership. They’re not the same thing. And getting this wrong can invalidate your entire patent. Inventorship vs. Ownership: The Basics An inventor is the person (or persons) who conceived of the invention. Under U.S. patent law, […]

What Is a Prior Art Search? The First Step Every Inventor Skips (And Regrets)

Every week, inventors spend thousands of dollars filing patents for ideas that already exist. Not “sort of” exist. Not “vaguely similar.” Already patented — sometimes word for word, mechanism for mechanism. And they don’t find out until a patent examiner rejects their application 18 months later, after they’ve already paid $8,000-15,000 in attorney fees. This […]

How to Protect Your Invention for $1,500 — Without a Patent Attorney

You’ve been working on your invention for months — maybe years. You’ve sketched it out, maybe built a prototype, and you’re pretty sure nobody’s done this before. But when you Google “how to patent my invention,” the numbers hit hard: Patent attorney consultation: $300-600/hour Prior art search: $1,000-2,500 Provisional patent application: $3,000-5,000 Non-provisional patent: $8,000-15,000+ […]