A patent attorney prepares a portfolio of 15 patents. Filing fees are $1,200 each, legal drafting costs $600 per patent, and maintenance fees (spread over 4 years) total $3,000 per patent. What is the total cost per patent, and what is the portfolios total cost?

Mon, 04 May 2026 20:37:27 +0000

A patent attorney prepares a portfolio of 15 patents. Filing fees are $1,200 each, legal drafting costs $600 per patent, and maintenance fees—spread over four years—total $3,000 per patent. What is the total cost per patent, and what is the portfolio’s full expense? This question reflects growing interest in protecting intellectual assets amid rising innovation across U.S. industries. With technological advancement accelerating, securing patent protection has become critical for startups, inventors, and businesses aiming to safeguard competitive advantage and monetize inventions. Understanding the cost structure helps individuals and entrepreneurs plan effectively. Each patent in a 15-patent portfolio carries distinct but transparent costs: filing fees amount to $1,200 per patent, legal drafting and review total $600 per patent, and maintenance fees—covers upkeep over four years—reach $3,000 total per patent. Together, these add up with precision: $1,200 + $600 = $1,800 per patent; multiplied by 15, maintenance fees total $27,000, meaning per-patent maintenance averages $2,000 but usually remains bundled with drafting as $600 per patent in structured pricing. Calculating the total per patent: $1,200 + $600 = $1,800. This figure anchors practical budgeting for professional portfolio development. Extending across 15 patents, the portfolio’s total cost emerges at $27,000 in fees, plus legal drafting fees—commonly estimated at $10,000 total across the batch—bringing the complete portfolio investment to approximately $37,000. Beyond the numbers, the timing and scale make this investment increasingly relevant. Filing fees and drafting costs reflect U.S. patent office standards, shaped by evolving complexity and international filing choices. Maintenance fees enforce ongoing legal stewardship, ensuring patent validity. Businesses navigating markets where IP is central to growth—tech, biotech, manufacturing—now treat portfolio management as a strategic necessity, rarely forecasting only costs but assessing long-term protection ROI.