Georgia PATENTS offers pro bono legal assistance in the form of free attorney and/or patent agent time in helping inventors prepare and file patent applications. Inventors remain responsible for paying an administrative fee to Georgia PATENTS for attorney placement, all applicable fees owed to the United States Patent & Trademark Office during the prosecution process, and sometimes drafting fees (at cost) necessitated by complex inventions or designs. The USPTO fees are greatly reduced (up to 75% off the standard rate) for “micro-entities” such as those qualifying under this program.
Administrative Fee
Georgia PATENTS charges a nominal administrative fee, payable after your intake appointment, before placing your case with an attorney. The fee does not go to the attorney or patent agent, and is separate from any fees due to the USPTO during the patent prosecution process. This fee helps Georgia PATENTS defray the costs associated with running its pro bono program.
| Solo Inventors | Non-Profits | Small Businesses |
|---|---|---|
| $50 | $100 | $150 |
Common USPTO Fees
You remain responsible for paying the appropriate filing, search, examination, and issuance fees. The information contained below is for informational purposes only. Inventors should check the official USPTO Fee Schedule before relying on any of the amounts listed below. Not all fees are applicable, and the most common fees are highlighted below. Your application may necessitate payment of other fees not listed. If a patent issues, there are also additional maintenance fees due from time to time.
| Code Section | Description | Regular Cost | Micro-Entity Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.16(d) | Provisional Application Fee | $280 | $70 |
| 1.16(a) | Regular Application: Utility | $300 | $75 |
| 1.16(b)-(c) | Regular Application: Design/Plant | $200 | $50 |
| 1.16(h) | Independent Claims, in excess of 3 | $460 | $115 |
| 1.16(i) | Claims in excess of 20 | $100 | $25 |
| 1.16(k)-(n) | Search Fees | $160-$660 | $40-$165 |
| 1.16(o) | Utility Patent Examination | $760 | $190 |
| 1.16(p) | Design Patent Examination | $600 | $160 |
| 1.16(q) | Plant Patent Examination | $620 | $155 |
| 1.18(a)(1) | Utility Issue Fee | $1000 | $250 |
| 1.18(b)(1) | Design Issue Fee | $700 | $175 |
| 1.18(c)(1) | Plant Issue Fee | $800 | $200 |
Poverty Guidelines
Georgia PATENTS relies on information provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, published yearly and available at aspe.hhs.gov. The data provided below is for informational purposes only and may not be updated as quickly as the statistics available on the official website.
| Number in Household | Poverty Level | 300% Poverty |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $12,060 | $36,180 |
| 2 | $16,240 | $48,720 |
| 3 | $20,420 | $61,260 |
| 4 | $24,600 | $73,800 |
| 5 | $28,780 | $86,340 |
| 6 | $32,960 | $98,880 |
| 7 | $37,140 | $111,420 |
| 8 | $41,320 | $123,960 |
For more than 8, add $4,180/person to determine poverty (or $12,540 for 300% poverty), but no single inventor may have a total household income of more than $150,000.