💰 Cheapest Way to File
USPTO Provisional Patent — Self-File via Patent Center
A provisional patent establishes your priority date for 12 months. No examination, no formal claims needed. You can file it yourself online in 30 minutes.
| Entity Type | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| Micro Entity (≤4 prior patents, income <3× US median) | $80 |
| Small Entity (<500 employees) | $160 |
| Large Entity (500+ employees) | $320 |
You likely qualify as Micro Entity if this is among your first 4 patent applications and your gross income is under ~$228K (3× US median income ~$76K). If filing through a company with <500 employees, Small Entity ($160).
Step-by-Step Self-Filing
- Create account at patentcenter.uspto.gov (free)
- Click "New Submission" → "Provisional Patent Application"
- Upload the patent document (the provisional patent draft below, saved as PDF)
- Fill in inventor details: Name, address, citizenship
- Declare entity size: Micro ($80) or Small ($160)
- Pay filing fee by credit card
- Receive confirmation with application number and filing date
💡 Pro Tip: File the document exactly as-is below. A provisional doesn't need formal claims or drawings — the detailed description establishes your priority date. You have 12 months to file the full (non-provisional) patent with formal claims, drawings, and attorney review.
Timeline & Budget
| Action | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| File provisional (self-file) | Now | $80–$160 |
| Hire patent attorney for non-provisional | Within 12 months | $5K–$15K |
| File non-provisional patent | Month 11 | $320–$1,600 + attorney |
| PCT international filing (optional) | Within 12 months | ~$3K–$5K |
| USPTO examination | 12–24 months after non-provisional | $0 (included) |
| Issue fee (if granted) | After approval | $240–$960 |
Total cost to establish priority: $80–$160 today.
Everything else can wait up to 12 months. The provisional locks your date.
Everything else can wait up to 12 months. The provisional locks your date.
Alternative: Use a Filing Service
- LegalZoom Provisional Patent: ~$199 + $160 filing fee = ~$359 total
- UpCounsel/Priori: Patent attorney review + filing ~$800–$1,500
- Self-file: $80–$160 (just the USPTO fee)
📜 Provisional Patent Application
🔍 Prior Art Report
🚀 Recommended Next Steps
- File provisional TODAY — $80–$160 at patentcenter.uspto.gov
- Within 30 days: Engage patent attorney for review and non-provisional strategy
- Within 6 months: Consider PCT filing for international protection (US, EU, UK, Israel, Australia)
- Month 11: File non-provisional with formal claims, drawings, and attorney-prepared specification
- Ongoing: Monitor competitor patents in AI agent trading space
- Defensive publications: Publish technical details of non-core features to establish prior art
Patent Attorney Recommendations
- Software/AI patent specialists — look for attorneys with CS backgrounds who've filed AI/ML patents
- Israel-based: Pearl Cohen, Reinhold Cohn, Sughrue Mion (with US filing capability)
- US-based: Fish & Richardson, Fenwick & West, Wilson Sonsini (all have AI patent practices)
- Budget option: UpCounsel or Priori for vetted patent attorneys at lower rates