Intellectual Property, Business, and Estate Planning

King Patent Law, PLLC

Protecting your ideas, business, and legacy

Free Download: Are Your Valuable IP Assets Protected Properly?

Get the Beginning-of-Year IP Checkup Checklist and find out what you’re missing (before a competitor, copycat, or legal nightmare finds it for you)

Patent Services

Properly protecting your inventions of products, processes, designs, etc. is essential for:

protecting your ownership of them and
maximizing their profitability.

We can help you with:

knowing if your invention is patentable,
knowing whether you are likely to be granted a patent,
deciding which type of patent application is appropriate,
filing the application,
working to get the application approved,
renewal and enforcement of patent rights, and
licensing.

We will work with you throughout the application process to ensure your application meets stringent requirements and that your rights receive maximum protection.

Once your patent is granted, or if you already have a patent, we will work with you to ensure your rights are properly maintained and develop licensing agreements that protect your rights and help you make money from your patented invention.

Learn more about applying for a patent through our free quick sheets and booklets:

Patent Applications: International Quick Sheet: Patents Basics: Patent Application

Clearance / Novelty search, analysis, and opinion
Provisional utility application
Nonprovisional utility application
Design applications
Other application-related services, including responses to Office Actions
International applications (international local counsel may also be needed)

General advice
Validity / Invalidity opinion
Infringement / Noninfringement opinion
Licensing
Assignments
Cease-and-desist letters
Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings

Fees

Ms. King works using flat rates. You will know up front what the total cost will be for the services most appropriate for you, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Common fees are listed below in our fee sheets. Additional attorney fees, USPTO filing fees, and international filing fees may apply to these listed fees. The fees listed here are starting points. Fees ultimately depend on the complexity of the work required.

Downloadable fee sheets:

Patent Fees: International Application Patent Fees: Design Patents Patent Fees: Utility Patents

Patent FAQs

Can you get a patent for your idea?

Does it matter WHEN you submit a patent application?

How long do patent rights last?

What are important patent dates to remember?

How can you protect your business idea?

What if you CAN'T get a patent for your business idea?

What is the difference between being an inventor and owning patent or invention rights?

Should you own the patent rights or should your business own them?

Why are non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) important for patents?

5 common myths about provisional patent applications

Myth 1 - A provisional patent application gives me a patent

Myth 2 - As long as I file something I'm covered

Myth 3 - I can safely go public with my invention after filing

Myth 4 - I don't need a patent attorney for a provisional patent application

Myth 5: Once I file a provisional #patent application, I don't need to worry for a year

5 common mistakes DIY applicants make with provisional patent applications

1 - Not describing the invention in enough detail

2-Treating it like a placeholder that doesn't matter

3 - Using Overly Broad or Ambiguous Language

4- Failing to Include Drawings or Diagrams

5 - Assuming a Provisional Patent Application Means Patent Pending Protection Forever

Patent Search FAQs

Why are patent searches important?

What are the different kinds of patent searches, and when are they useful?

Can you do a patent search without a patent attorney?

Are patent searches accurate?

What do patent search results mean?

Why should you work with a patent attorney for a patent search?

Recent Posts About Patents

28 Months Later: How the PCT Gives You Time to Survive International Filing

Beyond Borders: Global Patent Filing Strategies (PCT, Foreign Filing, and When to Go International)

Planning to sell internationally? Learn when and how to file patents globally using PCT, Paris Convention, or direct foreign filing. Patent attorney Julie King breaks down your options. By the end of this post, you’ll understand your options, the deadlines you cannot miss, and how to build a global patent strategy that actually supports your business instead of draining your bank account.

February 16, 2026

The Jump Scare of Patent Costs (A Realistic Look at Time and Money)

The Jump Scare of Patent Costs (A Realistic Look at Time and Money)

Let’s be blunt: getting a patent is hard. The USPTO rejects most applications before ultimately granting them. The process takes 2-3 years at best, and a minimum budget of $25,000 is realistic. I’m not trying to scare you. I’m making sure you go in with your eyes open, like walking into a horror movie knowing there will be jump scares. If your invention has real commercial potential, the investment is absolutely worth it.

January 30, 2026

DIY Patent Applications: A Recipe for Disaster

DIY Patent Applications: A Recipe for Disaster

“Can I file my own patent application?” Legally? Yes. Should you? Almost certainly not. Patent law is incredibly technical. The claims, which are the part that defines what’s actually protected, must be written with surgical precision. One wrong word can mean the difference between strong protection and worthless paper.

January 29, 2026

It's Alive! (But Only If You File the Non-Provisional Patent Application)

It’s Alive! (But Only If You File the Non-Provisional Patent Application)

here’s a very important point that trips up so many inventors. There. Is. No. Such. Thing. As. A. Provisional. Patent. It is a provisional patent APPLICATION, and it will NEVER become a patent unless a non-provisional application that can claim its priority date is filed within the 12-month deadline. It’s like Frankenstein’s monster without the brain.

January 28, 2026

What Dr. Frankenstein Knew: The Power of Detailed Invention Documentation

What Dr. Frankenstein Knew: The Power of Detailed Invention Documentation

The most underrated step in the patent process? WRITE. IT. DOWN. Document your invention with dates. Describe what it is, how it works, what problem it solves, and when you developed it. Document what didn’t work right. Dr. Frankenstein went through a lot of trial and error to bring his creation to life. If you’re not working alone, document who did what. Credit Igor with using the damaged brain and note what result that produced. You don’t need fancy legal language, just make clear, detailed notes.

January 27, 2026

Nightmare on Patent Street: When You Seek the Wrong Type of Protection

Nightmare on Patent Street: When You Seek the Wrong Type of Protection

Is “file a patent application” on your 2026 goal list? Amazing! But before you dive in, make sure you understand which type of IP protection you actually need. Patents protect inventions: new and useful processes, machines, or compositions. Not logos (that’s trademarks), not creative works (that’s copyright), not business names (also trademarks). Sometimes inventions are better protected as trade secrets than through patents. Sometimes you need a combination of protections to cover your bases. Getting this right at the start saves you serious time and money.

January 27, 2026