Patent Law Representation

Patent Law Expertise From Talented Attorneys

Coleman & MacDonald Law Office has an experienced team of professional patent attorneys with many years of experience in both large corporations and IP boutique law firms. Our attorneys are experienced in patent prosecution, patent licensing, handling patent litigation matters in the US, and overseeing foreign prosecution and litigation proceedings. We provide high-quality legal services for intellectual property matters to small corporations and individual inventors, including high standards of quality, confidentiality, and accountability.

Our Patent-Related Services

• Patent searches
• Novelty searches
• Validity/invalidity searches
• Product clearance searches

• Preparation and filing of patent applications
• Provisional patent applications
• Utility patent applications – mechanical, computer, electrical, business methods
• Design applications

• Patent Prosecution Matters
• Patent prosecution appeals to the Board of Patent Appeals
• Patent interference proceedings
• Correction of patents
• Patent enforcement

• Patent Licensing
• Drafting of patent license
• Agreements review of patent license agreements
• Enforcement of patent license agreements

• Patent enforcement and defense actions in US district courts
• Patent infringement and non-infringement litigation matters
• Patent validity and invalidity litigation matters
• Declaratory judgment actions for patent non-infringement and invalidity

Other Patent Services

• Patent searches
• Preparation of patent applications
• Patent prosecution – office actions
• Appeal briefs
• Infringement/non-infringement analysis and opinions
• Validity analysis, opinions
• Patent licensing
• Product clearance work
• Enforcement of patents
• Defense work
• Patent portfolio management
• Patent re-exam, reissue
• Patent litigation
• Restriction requirements
• Patent landscape analysis
• Continuation applications
• Foreign patent applications and prosecution
• International patent applications
• Patent cooperation treaty (PCT) applications

Attorney Fees for Patent Cases

We offer a one-hour consultation free of charge for patent cases. Please see our other patent service fees below.

Novelty patent search: Search of U.S. and foreign patent databases to identify prior art patents directed to the critical features of an invention. $400

Novelty patent search with patentability opinion: Includes our view on the patentability of your invention, given the search results. $750

Product clearance search: Search the patent database for patents having claims that may prevent you from making, using, or selling a product. It also can include expired patents identifying the subject matter in the public domain. $1,200 – $2,400

Validity/invalidity search and opinion: Compares the subject matter of the claims of a patent in question to prior art patents and non-patent references to determine the validity/invalidity of the patent at issue. $250/hr.

Patent Applications (filing fees not included): Preparation and filing of a non-provisional application. $4,000

Preparation and filing of a provisional patent application: (single embodiment) $800 – $1,200

Preparation and Filing of a Design Patent: $400

Filing of USA National Stage Application: $500

Response to office action based on instructions of foreign associate: $800

Patent Prosecution Fees

Response to office action; filing fees not included: $800 – $1,600

Appeal brief: $1,200 – $1,800

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications: Preparation and filing of a PCT application; filing fees not included. $4,200

Copyright, Domain Name, Litigation, and Licensing Fees

We offer a free initial consultation for all cases involving copyright, domain name disputes, patent litigation, and licensing. Our other fees include the following:

Preparation and filing of a U.S Copyright Registration Application for a single work of authorship; filing fees not included: $250

Preparation and filing of a complaint/response for a domain name dispute; filing fees not included: $3000

Flat rates quoted for specific tasks: $250/hr.

Licensing of Intellectual Property

Coleman & MacDonald Law Office has wide-ranging experience representing both licensors and licensees in all licensing, assignments, and other contractual arrangements that transfer intellectual property rights between parties. We have experience in licensing patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and know-how. We have represented clients needing assistance with licensing arrangements in fields as varied as mechanical and electrical devices, copyrighted works, trademarks, end-user licenses for software devices, manufacturing agreements, franchise agreements, and telecommunication technology transfers.

Please get in touch with us to discuss your licensing needs. We will be happy to discuss your situation and do our best to provide a firm quote for your intellectual property licensing tasks. Please call if you need legal assistance with any patent-related matter not listed above.

New Businesses: We can help you build a valuable patent portfolio protecting your innovations, which will become an essential asset to your company.

Small Corporations: We will act as outside IP counsel to your small corporation so that you won't need an in-house patent or trademark attorney. If your corporation is cost-conscious about its legal expenses, call us to arrange an on-site meeting to review your IP portfolio and discuss your IP strategy. We offer flat or capped fees for most of our services.

Individual Inventors: We provide high-quality patent prosecution and legal services at low-cost, flat fees.

Large Corporations: We prepare, file, and prosecute U.S. Patents for large corporations on a flat fee basis. Call for a free quote. Our patent attorneys have in-house experience at sizeable international fortune 100 corporations and many years of experience at IP patent boutique law firms.

Patent Law Basics

A patent gives the patent holder the right to exclude others from making, using, offering to sell, selling, or importing into the United States the subject matter of the patent, during the term of the patent. A patent term is 20 years from the filing date. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) determines whether a patent should be granted in a case. Once a patent is given, it is up to the patent holder to enforce the patent rights against infringers. U.S. Patents are enforceable only in the United States. A patent attorney prosecutes a patent application before the USPTO in a process referred to as patent prosecution.

Types of Patents Granted by the USPTO

Utility patents: For discoveries of new and useful machines, the composition of matter, or any improvements thereto.

Design patents: A design patent covers any new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. A design patent protects only the appearance of the article and not structural or utilitarian features.

Plant patents: A plant patent covers new varieties of asexually reproduced plants.

Novelty or patentability search: A novelty search is the most common type of patent search. Novelty searches are conducted when an inventor has an invention they are interested in patenting and wishes to determine if anyone has previously invented anything similar or identical. Typically, a patent attorney reviews the results of a novelty search and provides a patentability opinion as to whether the invention is patentable based on the results of the novelty search.

Clearance searches: A produce clearance search or freedom to operate search identifies patents and published applications that may pose an infringement risk to your product or service. Additionally, expired patents that may indicate that your product or service is in the public domain are identified. Depending on your needs, the search scope may be limited to US patents and published applications or extended to include foreign patent references.

Validity search: Identifies prior art references that may be used alone or in combination to contest the validity of the claims in a patent or patent application. Search results may include published applications, US and foreign patents, and non-patent literature, such as scientific journals and papers. The results of a validity search can then be compared to the claims of a patent which is the subject of a validity analysis.

Patent enforcement: Actions taken by a patentee against a party who is making, using, or offering for sale a product or method covered by a patent (patent infringement).