US Patent Prosecution
Prosecution is where claims meet an examiner. Good strategy keeps the technology, the business and the budget in view.
From filing to decision
After a non-provisional application is filed it is examined at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Examiners commonly issue office actions raising objections or rejections, and the application proceeds through responses, interviews and sometimes appeals or continuations.
Each step is a chance to refine the claims toward what actually protects your product and your position with investors and partners.
How we approach it
- Claims with intent. Claim sets drafted around your product and likely competitors, not only the first idea.
- Technical responses. Office action responses that engage with the references and the engineering, studying each objection to tailor the strategy. Where an interview with the examiner would help, we arrange one.
- Portfolio thinking. Continuations and related filings planned alongside the roadmap.
- Clear updates. Plain-language status and decisions you can act on.
Issue and upkeep
Winning allowance is not the end. Issue fees must be paid on time, and US maintenance fees fall due at 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years after grant. Missed payments can cause a patent to lapse or an application to be abandoned.
We track every deadline with docketing software and reminders, so decisions never arrive as surprises.
Beyond the US
Patents are territorial: a US patent applies only in the US. If your markets, manufacturing or competitors are elsewhere, we help you plan foreign filings against the Paris Convention and PCT deadlines. Through our parent company, Metayage, international prosecution is coordinated with local associate firms chosen for the technology and your budget.
Common questions
How long does prosecution take?
It varies widely with the technology area and the examiner's workload. We cannot promise timing, but we can explain what to expect and options for speeding things up where available.
Can anyone apply for a US patent?
Yes. Nationality and residence are not barriers to filing in the US, although foreign filing permissions may apply in your home country.
How do you pick countries for foreign filings?
By market size, the value of a patent there, the likelihood of grant, enforcement and budget.
Information on this page is general and not legal advice. Outcomes cannot be guaranteed.