About the patent for invention The objective of your future patent is to give you a right which typically consists of ten claims with technical characteristics. It is not a question of protecting the idea of a product but an innovative technical realization which can then indirectly protect the initial idea of the product. A patent typically comprises several parts but the object of which is only to obtain a set of claims: - The title - The field of the invention - The state of the prior art, in particular a recent competing patent - A description brief description of the invention - A brief description of the figures - A detailed description with reference to the figures - A paragraph on industrial application - The set of claims - The abstract of the invention of at most 150 words including a copy of the titre - Figures For a French inventor, it is standard practice to first file a French patent at the INPI, then possibly a PCT worldwide application in the following year, then possibly under 18 additional months international patents ( Europe, US, China,…). Note that in France for a patent to be accepted, it is essential to keep its novelty character and to have kept the information confidential, in particular not to have exhibited it in a trade show, not to have posted a youtube video, don't have a newspaper article. The most economical is to write the text of the patent yourself. As a first step, you must file and write a text in the form of a patent that you can file for an amount of € 13 for a provisional French patent and € 273 for a classic French patent with prior search by the INPI. These are the amounts to be expected if you write the text of the patent yourself. Attached as an example is a patent drafting framework, the format of which must be observed. You must then file it online on the site https://procedures.inpi.fr/?/ If you contact a patent firm, it will invoice its service in the order of several thousand euros. To find an intellectual property counsel (CPI): https://www.inpi.fr/fr/services-et-prestations/annuaire-des-conseils-en-pi-par-region In the case of the provisional French patent you you have one year to transform it into a classic French patent if you find companies interested in your idea in the meantime. The stages of your INPI patent after filing with the INPI. First you will receive a filing date notification and then a disclosure authorization on May 19. You can then possibly receive notifications of irregularities either administrative or technical on the form but not on the substance of the invention. On this point, the main expected is the preliminary research report financed by filing fees. This research report called RRP Preliminary Research Report is normally sent without the INPI committing to it, between 9 and 12 months after the filing date. Upon receipt of the Preliminary Research Report (PRR), a document called a "written opinion" formalizes the analysis of each of the claims according to three criteria: - novelty (compared to a single example showing that the claims are not new in the strict sense ) - inventive step (not within the reach of a person skilled in the art, possibly by combining several documents D1, D2, D3, etc. generally from previous patents) - possibility of industrial application (most often acquired). As an example for another patent:
It is likely that prior art will be cited and that a response will be required. In this case, it is necessary to analyze the research report, to make observations and if necessary to propose a new set of claims.
After one year, you will have to pay very modest annuities for the first 4 years (€ 19 per year for an individual) of maintaining a French patent.
If you have new ideas during this first year, it is possible to file a new patent complementary to the first by attaching it with the priority date of the first patent for the common part and with the new filing date for new ideas. .
After 18 months the patent will be published and the patent will be issued (= obtained, granted) after 9 additional months during which third parties (= competitors) can come forward or even oppose. The patent application cannot become a French patent granted before 18 9 = 27 months after filing, with a grant fee of € 45.
International expansion
One should be in a position to decide on the basis of interest one year after filing to initially spend around € 3,000 for a PCT to keep the possibility of filing the patent in different countries.
The amount of € 3,000 is reduced to € 1,150 if the PCT patent is identical to the French patent because then the amount of the international search report of € 1,850 is reimbursed within a few months.
Still depending on interest, it may be multiplied within an additional 18 months in different countries for a total amount (translations and deposit) in order of magnitude between € 5,000 and € 100,000 depending on the number of countries.
The cost in Europe is minimal if we are satisfied with the 3 countries France, England and Germany. For other countries (Italy, Spain, ...) you have to pay for the translation.
Compare the US patent is much cheaper with a single patent for 50 states, once the patent has been translated into English
Download the French patent frame example
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