According to Alan Kasper, the First Vice President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), more than I expected. In recent testimony before Congress, Mr. Kasper noted that:
…the preparation and filing of an original application of minimal complexity (10 page specification, 10 claims) on average by a firm having my firm’s size is $8,548.00. Similar costs exist for relatively complex biotechnology/chemical cases ($15,398.00), relatively complex mechanical cases ($11,482.00) and relatively complex electrical/computer cases ($13,684). The average cost for filing an Amendment in a case of minimal complexity is $2,244.00, in a relatively complex biotechnology/chemical case is ($4,448.00), in a relatively complex electrical/computer case is ($3,910.00) and in a relatively complex mechanical case is ($3,506.00). (Pages I-78, I-79 and I-80 of the Survey). The government fees related to such filings are the same (unless the Applicant is a small entity) — $1,030.00. The cost for filing an RCE is $810.00 plus a service charge, which in the case of my firm, is $350.00. The cost for filing of a continuation application is $1,030.00 plus a service charge, which in the case of my firm is $585.00.
Those numbers shock me. I guess that is the disadvantage (to me) of practicing (1) in a small firm and (2) in Boise, Idaho.
[hat tip: Chicago Patent Attorney Peter Zura]
