Wagner Lipnharski wrote:

> "If I have a good idea, or developped a good product, I think I need to
> have it patented.

Read the Lancaster article to see why this is very BAD assumption.
http://www.tinaja.com/glib/casagpat.pdf

> But, how much would it cost?

Way more money than it's worth. A good preliminary search (prior art)
and first draft is upwards of $10k.

> can I do it by myself or do I need to hire a lawyer?

You can do the preliminary searchs for prior art using the web
(uspto.gov, European Patent and Trademark office, etc.).
You will probably need a lawyer to draft the patent claim, and you
will ABSOLUTELY require a lawyer to file it (in the USA only registered
patent agents can file patents AFAICR).

> Where can I get information about the necessary steps?"

The USPTO site has some information. There are many web sites.
And too many 'helpful' companies only too willing to take your money to
'help' you get a useless patent.

In the end, your best advice will come from paying a lawyer $150/hr
to tell you that you shouldn't be doing it unless you have a LOT of
money at hand, and at risk.

> Does anybody in here made some patents lately in US? and can help to answer
> those questions?

Yeah, we just did, and it cost upwards of $70,000 by the time we were able
to license the rights to a big name company who spent another $4 million
getting it to market. My boss has two other patents that he spend 10's
of thousands getting, and for which he will NEVER see a dime recovered.

Unless you have a MINIMUM of $100,000 for I.P. rights, just build the
damn thing and publish the details so no one else can get a patent on it.
Or take the 'trade secrets' route and make sure only -you- know the
crucial details for making it all work.

> I myself, have necessity to walk this patent trail sooner or later,
> posponing just by lack of knowledge.
> In the past I contacted a patent lawyer company, their cost were so high
> ($10 thousand) that I forgot about the idea immediately.

And that was just to START.
You then need very deep pockets if you want to defend your patent.
And if you -don't- actively defend it, the courts will rule that
you have abandoned it, making claims harder to enforce at a later time.

As I said before (and has been pointed out by other experts in other
forums), patents are only of value if you have the money and time
to defend them.

Robert
IANAL but you can't help but learn things when you got through the
excruciating process of getting a patent.

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