Patent registration. Through our attorney network.
File.Business connects you to specialty patent attorneys for utility, design, and provisional patent applications. We handle the connection; the patent attorney handles strategy, filing, and prosecution with the USPTO.
Start here.
$1,500-$4,000 + USPTO filing fees. Buys priority date and 12 months to file non-provisional.
$10,000-$30,000+ over the prosecution period. Full functional patent.
$3,000-$8,000. Faster (12-18 months). Ornamental design protection.
$500-$2,000 before filing. Reduces risk of rejection.
Specialty for asexually reproduced plants.
The full picture.
Provisional patent applications
Filed quickly and cheaply ($1,500-$4,000 typical attorney fees + small USPTO fee). Establishes priority date. Does NOT get examined. Must be followed by non-provisional within 12 months or priority is lost. Useful for establishing "Patent Pending" status during product development.
Utility patent (non-provisional)
Full functional patent. Covers new and useful processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter. 20-year term from filing date. Examination process takes 18-30 months. Total cost: $10k-$30k+ over the period.
Design patent
Covers ornamental design. 15-year term. Faster and cheaper than utility patents ($3-8k typical). Used for product appearance, packaging, GUI elements.
Patent search and analysis
Recommended before filing. Identifies prior art, assesses patentability, and helps refine claims. $500-$2,000 typical attorney cost. Can save significant money by avoiding doomed filings.
Patentability requirements
Novelty: not previously disclosed anywhere in the world. Non-obviousness: not an obvious variation of existing technology. Utility: must have practical application. Patentable subject matter: no abstract ideas, natural phenomena, laws of nature.
Software patentability
Post-Alice (2014), software claims face heightened scrutiny. Successful software patents tie inventions to specific technical improvements, hardware, or unconventional combinations. Generic "do X with a computer" claims typically rejected.
USPTO process
Application → assigned to examiner → first office action (often rejection citing prior art) → respond with amendments → continued examination → eventual grant or final rejection. Appeals possible.
International protection
US patents are US-only. Foreign protection requires Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filing or country-by-country direct filing. Costly. Strategy decision: which countries actually need protection?
Maintenance fees
Utility patents require maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years. Without payment, patent expires. Total maintenance fees over 20-year life: ~$12,500 for small entity.
Common questions.
Should I file a provisional first?
How long does a patent take?
Can I file without a lawyer?
What does "Patent Pending" mean?
Do I need a US bar registration?
What about international patents?
Cost summary
How does File.Business help?
Need IP protection?
Patents (through our attorney network). Trademarks (we file). Copyright registration (we file). IP assignment templates (free).
Patent law is highly specialized. Professional patent attorney advice is essential for filing.
How we deliver, end-to-end.
Four-step path from request to confirmation. State and IRS turnaround varies; our steps run in parallel where possible to compress the timeline.
Intake + scope
You tell us what you need through a short intake form (or a call for complex matters). We confirm scope, surface any gating issues (deadlines, missing documents, entity status), and quote any state fees that pass through at cost.
Prepare + verify
Our specialists draft the filing, verify entity details against state databases, run internal QA, and route any items needing your sign-off. You see drafts before anything gets submitted.
File with the authority
We submit directly to the state Secretary of State, FinCEN, IRS, USPTO, or whichever authority your filing requires. We pay state fees at cost and track the submission identifier in your account.
Confirmation + vault
Stamped certificate, IRS notice, or filing receipt arrives in your SOC 2 encrypted document vault the moment we receive it. Next filing deadline auto-added to your compliance calendar where applicable.
Built on the same infrastructure used by 220,000+ businesses.
SOC 2 Type II audited
Independent annual security audit covering access control, change management, incident response, and data handling. Current report on request.
All 51 US jurisdictions
Every state plus DC plus Puerto Rico - direct filings, not third-party reseller. We hold registered-agent qualifications in every state we operate.
Deadline guarantee
If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. Specific to each plan and the filings it includes.
4.9 from 8,200+ verified reviews
Independently verified by Trustpilot + Google + our own NPS infrastructure. Customer success team within reach by email, chat, or phone.
60-day money-back promise
Change your mind in the first 60 days and we refund our service fee in full. State filing fees pass through at cost and are non-refundable once paid to the state.
E&O insured
Errors and omissions coverage protects you from service errors. Carrier and certificate available on request for enterprise clients.
Recommended add-ons
Most customers add these to keep their business compliant year-round.
Trademark Monitoring
RecommendedWe watch for infringing applications and notify you within 24 hours.
Office Action Response
If the USPTO refuses, we draft a professional response.
Trademark Renewal Tracking
USPTO renewals every 5 and 10 years - we never let one lapse.
Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.
Trust you can verify
SOC 2 Type II audited platform. 220,000+ businesses served. 60-day money-back on service fees. State fees passed through at cost with no hidden markup. Explicit AUP on restricted industries.
A compliance partner, not a transaction
Most providers go quiet after checkout. We auto-track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline across your entities. The Business OS dashboard keeps your compliance score visible year-round.
Premium experience competitors cannot match
Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state or federal filings. Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state filings.