To patent an invention in 3 countries

At the Institute of Materials Technology, some researchers found a solution to the heating problems of a certain material. The three involved decided to start a company and try to make money from their idea. They have read that a novelty search provides a good basis to assess whether the invention is patentable and also what competitors there are in the area. They write the description for a novelty search themselves. Their research competitors are in the UK and Germany and they decide to apply for a patent in those countries, as well as in Sweden. An agent is chosen to write the applications and correspond with authorities.

Name: School Brain AB
Product: Very heat-resistant material
Employees: 3
Company turnover: 5 million SEK
City: Uppsala
3 patents: Sweden, Germany and the UK
The patent's lifespan: 11 years
To get a patent in 3 countries took approximately 3-4 years

Costs

Writing the description for a novelty search yourselves: 0 SEK
Buying a novelty search from PRV: 12,100 SEK
Agent cost for writing a patent application and other agent costs, such as replying to notices and administrative tasks: 100,000-140,000 SEK

Fees taken by PRV and other patent authorities:
Filing fee and granting fee in Sweden: 5,500 SEK
Filing fees and granting fees in Germany and the UK: 10,000 SEK
Annual fees in Sweden over 11 years: 20,100 SEK
Annual fees in Germany and the UK over 11 years: 30,000-35,000 SEK

Translation:
Translation costs: 50,000 SEK

Total: around 220,000-300,000 SEK

Please note

The patent applicants' costs in the examples have been estimated on the basis of conditions set in some typical cases. PRV would like point out that the total amounts are only approximate. Time and costs can vary considerably in different cases, even when the conditions appear to be the same. The patent application's scope and complexity, agent contributions and translation needs are factors that particularly affect the picture of costs.

Read more

Novelty search with a fixed price