{"id":5077,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:54","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/utility-patents-overview.html"},"modified":"2024-05-22T21:57:34","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T02:57:34","slug":"utility-patents-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/utility-patents-overview.html","title":{"rendered":"Utility Patents: The Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30  wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-section-main fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\">\n        <h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">Utility Patents: The Basics<\/h1>\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/taylar-simone-mccants-j-d\/\">Taylar-Simone McCants, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/amber-sheppard-esq\/\">Amber Sheppard, Esq.<\/a>\n                | Last updated\n        <time>\n                            May 22, 2024\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-editorial-note fl-text-sm\">\n            <p>Editorial Note: We earn a commission from affiliate partner links on FindLaw. Commissions do not affect the editorial integrity of our legal content.<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n<p>A patent is a right granted to inventors that prevent others from using, making, or selling their inventions for a certain period of time. There are three types of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/patents.html\">patents<\/a>&nbsp;available for inventions:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/elements-of-a-design-patent-application.html\">Design patents<\/a>&nbsp;protect the appearance of an object.<\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/plant-patents-overview.html\">Plant patents<\/a>&nbsp;protect the discovery and asexual reproduction of new and distinct plants.<\/li>\r\n<li>Utility patents are the most common type of patent. They protect inventions of products or processes. You can also get one for improvements to existing products or processes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Whether you want to obtain a design, plant, or utility patent, you must file the application with the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)<\/a>. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office then reviews the application to determine if the invention is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/what-is-patentable.html\">eligible for patent protection<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>This article explains things that can qualify for a utility patent, as well as a brief description of the utility patent application process.<\/p>\r\n<h2>What Is a Utility Patent?<\/h2>\r\n<p>A utility patent is available for an invention or discovery of a new and useful machine, manufacture, composition of matter, or process. This patent is also available for useful improvements to an existing machine, manufacture, composition, or process.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>A <b>machine<\/b>&nbsp;includes anything that is generally considered a machine, such as a computer or a tractor.<\/li>\r\n<li>A <b>manufacture<\/b>&nbsp;refers to goods that are made or manufactured.<\/li>\r\n<li>A&nbsp;<b>composition<\/b> of matter&nbsp;is a chemical composition that can include new chemical compounds as well as mixtures of ingredients.<\/li>\r\n<li>A <b>process<\/b>&nbsp;is an act, method, or process of doing something, primarily including technical or industrial processes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Utility patents provide inventors with exclusive rights to make, use, and sell their inventions for typically 20 years after the patent filing date.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Checklist for Utility Patents Application Filings<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Is the utility invention:<\/li>\r\n<li>A process or method?<\/li>\r\n<li>A machine?<\/li>\r\n<li>An article of manufacture?<\/li>\r\n<li>A composition of matter?<i><\/i><\/li>\r\n<li>An improvement of an invention that fits within one of the first four categories?<\/li>\r\n<li>Useful? Even some trivial usefulness satisfies the utility requirement.<\/li>\r\n<li>Novel? Different from all previous inventions in some important way.<\/li>\r\n<li>Nonobvious? Is it a surprising and significant development to somebody who understands the technical field of the invention?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>The Difference Between Utility and Design Patents<\/h2>\r\n<p>A utility patent protects how an object works and is used, while a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/design-patents-overview.html\">design patent<\/a>&nbsp;protects how an object looks. If both the utility and the ornamental appearance of an object are new inventions, the object can receive both a design patent and a utility patent.<\/p>\r\n<p>Although these two types of patents provide legally separate protection, it&#8217;s not always easy to separate a particular object&#8217;s ornamental design and utility. It&#8217;s important to ensure you file for the correct patents for your invention to receive full patent protection.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Filing a Utility Patent Application<\/h2>\r\n<p>Two types of applications are available for utility patents:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><b>Provisional<\/b><\/li>\r\n<li><b>Non-provisional<\/b><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>A&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/patents-getting-started\/patent-basics\/types-patent-applications\/provisional-application-patent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">provisional patent application<\/a>&nbsp;can be filed if the applicant needs more time to figure out the details and specifics of an invention, yet&nbsp;still wants some protection while they figure it out. This type of application is temporary, as&nbsp;an applicant has one year from the filing date to submit a corresponding non-provisional application.<\/p>\r\n<p>A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/a-guide-to-filing-a-utility-non-provisional-patent-application.html\">non-provisional utility patent application<\/a>&nbsp;requires a lot of detailed information about the invention. The information needed includes:<br>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>A description and claim of the invention<\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/the-basics-of-patent-drawings.html\">Drawings<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li>A declaration or oath by the inventor<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>An applicant must also pay filing, search, and examination fees along with the application. Under the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/about-the-patent-cooperation-treaty-pct.html\">Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)<\/a>, an applicant can also file an international application for a patent.<\/p>\r\n<p>The non-provisional patent application is the official document to file for a patent. This application begins the formal examination process to determine if the invention is eligible for patent protection.<br>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<h2>Utility Patent Cost<\/h2>\r\n<p>There are various costs associated with obtaining patent right protection when filing a patent application. The cost to file a utility patent application with the USPTO varies depending on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/patents\/apply\/applying-online\/entity-status-fee-purposes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">entity status of the applicant<\/a>. A micro-entity is a solo inventor, small business, or nonprofit and requires a certification to qualify for reduced fees.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Utility Search Fees<ul>\r\n<li>Large Entity &#8211; $700<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Small Entity &#8211; $280<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Micro Entity &#8211; $140<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Examination Fees<ul>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Large Entity &#8211; $800<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Small Entity &#8211; $320<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Micro Entity &#8211; $160<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/learning-and-resources\/fees-and-payment\/uspto-fee-schedule#Patent%20Fees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Application Fees<\/a><ul>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Basic filing fee (paper filing)<ul>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Large Entity &#8211; $320 plus a non-electronic additional fee of $400<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Small Entity &#8211; $180 plus a non-electronic additional fee of $200<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Micro Entity &#8211; $64 plus a non-electronic additional fee of $200<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Basic filing fee (electronic filing fee)<ul>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Small Entity &#8211; $64<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;Maintenance Fees for utility patents are due at various times.<ul>\r\n<li>&nbsp;3.5 years and range from $400 to $2,000<\/li>\r\n<li>&nbsp;7.5 years and range from $752 to $3,760<\/li>\r\n<li>11.5 years and range from $1,540 to $7,700<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>The price of the maintenance fees depends on the year they are due and the entity size. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/learning-and-resources\/fees-and-payment\/uspto-fee-schedule#Patent%20Fees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USPTO updates the full chart<\/a>&nbsp;of maintenance fees, surcharges, and other miscellaneous patent fees.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Get Legal Advice From a Patent Lawyer<\/h2>\r\n<p>Intellectual property protection is vital,&nbsp;whether you&#8217;re a small business owner or an entrepreneur with a startup company. Patents can be a complicated area of law. Incorrectly filing a patent application can result in a denial of your application or not receiving full protection for your invention.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>If you have questions about utility patents or would like help filing a utility patent application, contact an experienced&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/patents\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">patent attorney<\/a>&nbsp;for guidance.<\/p>\r\n<p>For more information and resources related to this topic and other forms of intellectual property rights, please visit FindLaw&#8217;s section on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property.html\">Intellectual Property<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                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