Going from Provisional to Full Patent Application

mrsmuir

Hi,
I am about to have my provisional patent run out (July 09) which I applied for through Legal Zoom.  I am starting to feel uncomfortable about not using an attorney from here on out.  I am told that going through the full patent app trademark, LLC etc   can be very costly.  As a new inventor and start up, how do people get pass these obstacles?  Can anyone give me a ball park figure on what to expect if I go ahead and find an attorney?

patentandtrademark

The best assumption here is that the money you spent on LegalZoom was a total waste - meaning you spent money trying to do it yourself and now have absolutely no benefit from having done that.  It`s kind of like taking a couple of swimming lessons, then entering the Olympics.  That having been said, and that money having been wasted, you may be able to spread out the expenses by not trying to do it all at once - e.g. file application for patent, wait 6 months and form LLC, wait 6 months and file trademark registration, etc.   Hire a lawyer or wait until you can hire lawyer.
 

mrsmuir

Thank you for your response.  I don`t consider it a waste of money though- nothing is a waste when you are reaching a goal.  I got the provisional patent to be able to see if my invention is marketable.  It is, now I am moving forward with more security and peace of mind by finding a lawyer who understands me and my product.
My original question was to find a ball park figure as to what the retaining of a lawyer, fees etc would cost me in approximately.
Thank you though for your response-

LSnyder

Hi Mrs. Muir,
My name is Lisa and I work for Daniel Pepper, who is an intellectual property lawyer.  He is the founder of Pepper Law Group, LLC which is located in Somerville, NJ.  I know attorney fees can become great than your means so we offer online legal services with flat rates for registering your LLC or Corporation, Trademark Searches, etc.  Take a look at our website www.informationlaw.com.  If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call at the office as we also offer a 1/2 hour free consultation.
Good luck to you and I hope that i was able to help.
Lisa Snyder
[email protected]
Pepper Law Group, LLC
908.698.0330

mrsmuir

Thank you so much for the above responses.  Lisa, I will log on to the site and take a look.  Thank you.
Taco Guy, I LOVE your invention- your blog, website and your insights .... its inspiring! It is simple yet affective.  That is what I am looking for.   Thanks so much for the input.  If you can do it, so can I!
I am going to look for an inventor group in my neck of the woods- Vegas.  Thanks again.

patentandtrademark

No reasonable person wants "dirt cheap" anything - lawyer, dentist, surgeon.  Dirt is cheap for a reason. 
 
As for LegalZoom, in most cases I`ve seen, they give a false sense of security that a person is obtaining some sort of legal protection - which is almost always false in the case of patents.

patentandtrademark

Is Dan Pepper a patent attorney?

mrsmuir

Good point...and because of my uneasiness from here on out, I agree with the legalzoom aspect.  Its just hard to either have to "sit and wait" till funds are available to hire a lawyer, or to go a less inexpensive route when they claim they can do so much for quite a bit less. 
Since the first post though, I have had many opinions on this subject and the concensus is to hire a lawyer or  patent agent. 

patentandtrademark

Yes, not to be taken too literally.  I`m fairly sure that a box of dirt will not be accepted as payment - regardless of the "value rendered."

Teryx

   When you sit down with the attorney, be sure to discuss the cost and benefit of actually defending it.  Unless you are prepared financially, mentally, and physically for that prospect, the patent is just a wall hanger no matter how well prepared.  Even if you "win" such a dispute, the chances of recovering your losses from legal costs, lost business, and the diversion of your own time are very low.  Frankly, If I ever attain the resources to develop a patent and successfully defend it, I`ll spend the money living on the beach in Costa Rica instead
 
Teryx

mrsmuir

Wow, really?  So, most patents are granted and  its a crap shoot as to whether or not they will stick?
I have to say, after much investigation, and due dill on this matter, it seems as if it all comes down to money, and luck.  (I guess that`s true of most businesses anyway...)
May I ask Tiger Taco if he is on the board, was his patent difficult and expensive to get?

mrsmuir

"Lack of them (money and luck) can`t kill a good idea."     I have to keep going back to that statement. 
You, Taco Guy, should be a motivational speaker!  This reply is one I will cut and paste and look at periodically when I am ready to throw in the towel.... which lately has been on an hourly basis, but I seem to keep pluggin along.   Thanks. 

patentandtrademark

If patent applications were really such a "crap shoot" there would be less patent applications filed after consulting an attorney.  I am the first to admit that a good patent on a bad idea is worth nothing.