Tennessee PATENTS offers pro bono legal assistance in the form of free attorney and/or patent agent time in helping inventors prepare and file patent applications. Inventors remain responsible for paying an administrative fee to Tennessee PATENTS for attorney placement, all applicable fees owed to the United States Patent & Trademark Office during the prosecution process, and sometimes drafting fees (at cost) necessitated by complex inventions or designs. The USPTO fees are greatly reduced (up to 75% off the standard rate) for “micro-entities” such as those qualifying under this program.
Administrative Fee
Tennessee PATENTS charges a nominal administrative fee, payable after your intake appointment, before placing your case with an attorney. The fee does not go to the attorney or patent agent, and is separate from any fees due to the USPTO during the patent prosecution process. This fee helps Tennessee PATENTS defray the costs associated with running its pro bono program.
| Solo Inventors | Non-Profits | Small Businesses |
|---|---|---|
| $50 | $100 | $150 |
Common USPTO Fees
You remain responsible for paying all appropriate fees including the mandatory filing, search, examination, and issuance fees. The information contained below is for informational purposes only. Inventors should check the official USPTO Fee Schedule before relying on any of the amounts listed below. Not all fees are applicable, and the most common fees are highlighted below. Your application may necessitate payment of other fees not listed. If a patent issues, there are also additional maintenance fees due from time to time.
| Provisional Application Fees | |||
| Code Section | Description | Regular Cost | Micro-Entity Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.16(d) | Provisional Application Fee | $280 | $70 |
| 1.17(i)(1) | Processing Fee to Convert Provisional to Non-Provisional |
$140 | $35 |
| 1.16(s) | Provisional Application Size Fee – for each additional 50 sheets that exceeds 100 sheets |
$400 | $100 |
| 1.17(m) | Petition for revival of an abandoned application for a patent |
$400 | $100 |
| Utility Application Fees | |||
| Code Section | Description | Regular Cost | Micro-Entity Cost |
| 1.16(a) | Regular Application: Utility | $300 | $75 |
| 1.16(k) | Search Fees: Utility | $660 | $165 |
| 1.16(o) | Utility Patent Examination | $760 | $190 |
| 1.18(a)(1) | Utility Issue Fee | $1000 | $250 |
| 1.16(f) | Surcharge – Late filing fee | $160 | $40 |
| 1.16(h) | Independent Claims, in excess of 3 | $460 | $115 |
| 1.16(i) | Claims in excess of 20 | $100 | $25 |
| 1.16(J) | Multiple Dependent Claim | $820 | $205 |
| 1.16(s) | Utility Application Size Fee – for each additional 50 sheets that exceeds 100 sheets |
$400 | $100 |
| 1.16(t) | Non-Electronic Utility Filing Fee | $400 | $200 |
| 1.17(i)(1) | Non-English Translation | $140 | $35 |
| Design Application Fees | |||
| Code Section | Description | Regular Cost | Micro-Entity Cost |
| 1.16(b) | Regular Application: Design | $200 | $50 |
| 1.16(l) | Search Fees: Design | $160 | $40 |
| 1.16(p) | Design Patent Examination | $600 | $160 |
| 1.18(b)(1) | Design Issue Fee | $700 | $175 |
| 1.16(f) | Surcharge – Late filing fee | $160 | $40 |
| 1.16(s) | Design Application Size Fee – for each additional 50 sheets that exceeds 100 sheets |
$400 | $100 |
| Plant Application Fees | |||
| Code Section | Description | Regular Cost | Micro-Entity Cost |
| 1.16(c) | Regular Application: Plant | $200 | $50 |
| 1.16(m) | Search Fees: Plant | $420 | $105 |
| 1.16(q) | Plant Patent Examination | $620 | $155 |
| 1.18(c)(1) | Plant Issue Fee | $800 | $200 |
| 1.16(f) | Surcharge – Late filing fee | $160 | $40 |
| 1.16(s) | Plant Application Size Fee – for each additional 50 sheets that exceeds 100 sheets |
$400 | $100 |
Poverty Guidelines
Tennessee PATENTS relies on information provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, published yearly and available at aspe.hhs.gov. The data provided below is for informational purposes only and may not be updated as quickly as the statistics available on the official website.
2019 Poverty Guidelines:
| Number in Household | Poverty Level | 300% Poverty |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $12,490 | $37,470 |
| 2 | $16,910 | $50,730 |
| 3 | $21,330 | $63,990 |
| 4 | $25,750 | $77,250 |
| 5 | $30,170 | $90,510 |
| 6 | $34,590 | $103,770 |
| 7 | $39,010 | $117,030 |
| 8 | $43,430 | $130,290 |
| 9 | $47,850 | $143,550 |
| 10+ | — | $150,000 |
No single inventor may have a total household income of more than $150,000.