Pillar 02 · IP Navigator Shield™
Patents
Protect inventions, processes, and unique product designs.
Who it's for
Inventors, hardware startups, product designers, engineers, and anyone with a novel functional invention or ornamental design.
Typical cost
Provisional: ~$65–$320 (micro/small/large entity). Non-provisional utility: $1,600–$4,000+ in USPTO fees, plus $5k–$15k typical attorney fees. Design patents: $1,000–$2,000 total.
Timeline
Provisional lasts 12 months. Utility patents take 2–3 years to grant. Design patents ~1–2 years.
What it is
A patent gives you a 14–20 year monopoly on making, using, or selling your invention in the U.S. There are three types: utility (how something works), design (how something looks), and plant (new plant varieties).
The three patent types
Pick the right type before you spend a dollar — they protect completely different things.
- Utility patent — how an invention works (a new machine, process, chemical composition). 20-year term.
- Design patent — the ornamental appearance of a product (shape, surface pattern). 15-year term.
- Plant patent — a new, asexually reproduced plant variety. 20-year term.
Provisional vs. non-provisional
A provisional patent application is a low-cost, 12-month placeholder that lets you say 'patent pending.' It never becomes a patent on its own — you must file a non-provisional within 12 months or lose the priority date.
- File provisional first when your invention is still evolving
- Non-provisional starts the actual examination clock
- Priority date matters: first-to-file wins in the U.S.
Before you spend money on a patent
Do these three things first, or you may waste thousands.
- Run a prior-art search on Google Patents and Patent Public Search (free)
- Confirm your invention is novel, non-obvious, and useful
- Consider whether a trade secret or design patent gives cheaper protection
Official resources
Free government and public sources. No login required unless noted.