I filed for another patent this week

[wroughtn_harv]

That's because two weeks ago I had to replace the thirty year old water line from the meter to the house. It was only 35' or so but it was almost three feet deep and in the infamous gumbo clay here in North Texas.

I call it "DeMudder". It's a light weight anvil device for shocking the clay off the shovel.

I've made some up and are giving them to buds with crews doing fencing, landscaping, and foundation repair. They are evaluating them. So far the responses have been very positive.

I applied for a provisional patent myself because it gives me 12 months and not a day more to submit the utility patent. That gives me the legal umbrella for using "patent pending" and it protects my rights to patent. It's like I explained to my wife, if it's just a good idea we can make and mark them ourselves and not file for the patent next year. But if it's a great idea, well, we'll cross that canyon when we face it.

If you've ever had to fight sticky clay on a digging tool then you can appreciate why I came up with the idea. It fits in a wheelbarrow and it won't scratch up a sidewalk or tear up the lawn.

It's cheaper to galvanize than to paint or powdercoat and a lot more durable.

I'm waiting to price it because it is a bear market (pun intended).

 

[s219]

What's it cost to file/prepare a patent these days?

 

[forgeblast]

Nice!!! I like the name too "DeMudder".

 

[wroughtn_harv]

What's it cost to file/prepare a patent these days?

How high is up?

The Patent Office has became user friendly for the little guy over the last four years. I have three patents, first one in 92 cost about $2500.00. The next two are almost four years old and it took about $25,000.00 for the pair. It was about the time the Patent Office got user friendly that the second set of attornies were able to get them through, huge difference in attitude at the USPTO.

I'm applying for a Provisional Patent which is what most of those inventor services use to suck the life blood out of inventors. It's only good for using Patent Pending for 12 months. But it does protect the inventor who want to go to market and test the viability of the product without going for the Utility Patent with the thousands of dollars that takes.

Now here is the good part, Provisional Application fee is $260.00. Yeah, those internet patent services will prep that application for only $3,500.00 for you. You can do it yourself. If you are an individual it get better yet, $130.00 as a simple entity. I was able to go one better, micro entity because this is my fourth application for a patent and I made less than $100,000.00 last year. $65.00 plus the $19.99 for the Express Mail service which gave me my patent date when I got the tracking number from the USPS.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Nice!!! I like the name too "DeMudder".

I was going to call it "Clayaway" but the consensus at the family meeting was "DeMudder" has a special twist.

 

[bumperm]

Congratulation to you. Very nice! And good information. I did not know about the provisional patent application.

I've been out of the loop since my single patent in 1985 for the "Grabbit" (a wire retrieval tool). Back then, and using attorneys, the patent cost about $3000, with me doing all the technical writing. Still, turned out to be a profitable patent. I licensed the Grabbit to another company after making the first 500 and taking them to a security alarm trade show.

Looking back, I should have patented a number of other tools I thought would not do quite so well. They all did better than my estimation, though the company I licensed them to paid only half the royalty rate with no patent protection. I did start out with the idea to manufacture and market my invention myself, and I did that for maybe 6 months. I was trying to run two companies at the same time and had not learned to delegate yet - - there were still many lessons in life to learn (grin). Had I to do it over again, I would not have licensed the tools even though the licensee treated me very well I think (10% of gross sales and 5% on the non-patented stuff).

bumper

 

[EarPlug]

There is a Abandoned Trademark for DEMUDDERS - a hand tool for removing mud from motorcycle and clothing

DEMUDDERS - Reviews & Brand Information - Gold Belt Line, Inc., The Reseda , - Serial Number: 73448131

 

[moeh1]

provisional patent applications need to fully describe (disclose) the invention you want to claim to really provide protection- but I'm not intending this to be legal advice. Sounds like you have some previous eperience...The patent office also has a new micro-entity class with lower fees.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

provisional patent applications need to fully describe (disclose) the invention you want to claim to really provide protection- but I'm not intending this to be legal advice. Sounds like you have some previous eperience...The patent office also has a new micro-entity class with lower fees.

I used the micro entity and I think the drawings and specifications covered the butt pretty well, thanks.

One of the great things about the Patent Office these days is inventors help line. The guy I got sounded like he'd been up to his butt in idiots all day. Once we got beyond that he was awesome. Up till then I was thinking about using a patent agent because Patenteeze is intimidating for us high school drop outs.

 

[Jstpssng]

Good luck! :thumbsup: