Patent protection in the United States

Questions about patents in the United States

How much does a patent cost in the United States?

Our estimate is about US$7,107 to take a PCT application to grant in the United States. That is about US$3,290 in official fees and US$3,817 in attorney fees. By stage: filing US$1,667, search US$770, examination request US$880, office action response US$2,000 and grant / issuance / publication US$1,790 (one office action response included). Renewal fees over the patent's life add an estimated US$15,520. Small entities pay reduced official fees in the United States. These are estimates only, for a standard application (10 claims, 30 pages, a company applicant): the actual cost depends on the law firm and the application. Request a quote from a law firm on this site for an exact price.

What is the PCT national phase deadline for the United States, and which routes are there?

The PCT national phase for the United States must be entered within 30 months of the earliest priority date.

In which technologies is the United States an important patent market?

The United States' 10 largest fields of technology by patent publications are computer technology (66,813 a year), digital communication (38,782 a year), medical technology (30,746 a year), electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (27,711 a year), semiconductors (20,872 a year), transport (19,693 a year), measurement (18,827 a year), audio-visual technology (18,667 a year), pharmaceuticals (14,452 a year) and optics (13,651 a year). Within its region, it stands out for electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (#1 in North America), audio-visual technology (#1 in North America), telecommunications (#1 in North America), digital communication (#1 in North America), basic communication processes (#1 in North America) and computer technology (#1 in North America). Publications are growing fastest in biotechnology (4% a year), electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (4% a year) and materials, metallurgy (3% a year). About 107,602 PCT applications enter the national phase in the United States each year.

What does the United States's economy make and export?

The United States' GDP is US$30,769.7bn, of which services US$18,092.3bn, industry US$4,169.8bn (of which manufacturing US$2,497.1bn) and agriculture US$223.7bn. Spending a year: households US$19,896.0bn and health care US$4,604.9bn. The United States' exports of goods came to US$1,897.8bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were crude oil (US$123.7bn, 7% of its exports, #3 in the world), refined petroleum products (US$112.7bn, 6% of its exports, #1 in the world), natural gas and LPG (US$84.7bn, 4% of its exports, #1 in the world), cars (US$62.0bn, 3% of its exports, #6 in the world), vaccines, blood products and biologics (US$50.2bn, 3% of its exports, #2 in the world), jet engines and gas turbines (US$49.8bn, 3% of its exports, #1 in the world), integrated circuits (chips) (US$48.6bn, 3% of its exports, #5 in the world), vehicle parts (US$42.1bn, 2% of its exports, #4 in the world), aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft (US$39.1bn, 2% of its exports, #1 in the world) and packaged medicines (US$37.2bn, 2% of its exports, #4 in the world). It is also one of the world's top exporters of polyethylene (#1, US$16.6bn), maize (#1, US$13.5bn) and soya beans (#2, US$24.7bn). Where products are made, a patent there can stop infringing copies being made, not only being sold.