Home About Us Services FAQs Links Contact Us
Capturing Creativity
Copyright 2013 McKay IP
FAQs
Q1. How much does an initial consultation cost?
A1. An initial consultation (approximately 30 minutes) is free.
Q2. If my company is not located in Ottawa, can I still use McKay IP?
A2. Yes. It is common for clients to use out-of-town intellectual property firms. All necessary information and discussions can be shared by telephone, e-mail and videoconference. (Although we will still try to come and see you when we are in your area.)
Q3. How much will it cost and how long will it take to get a patent for my invention?
A3. It depends. The costs for preparing and filing a single patent application for a single invention can start at only a few thousand dollars and filing can often be completed within a couple of weeks if all the necessary information is provided up front. However, more complex inventions and filing in multiple countries can increase costs and time. Additionally, once a patent application is filed, it will be "examined" by Patent Examiners employed by the Patent Office in each country where the application was filed. This is called "patent prosecution" and it is difficult to predict the time and expense involved for a particular case. Additionally, there are government costs to keep the patent application active during this time, and costs associated with issuance of a patent when an application is successful. If the Examiner agrees to allow patent protection on aspects of your invention, there will be costs associated with the issuance of the patent and to keep it alive during its term. If you opt to seek patent protection in Europe or in non-English-speaking countries, there will also be costs for the translation of the patent and additional governmental and professional fees will arise.
Q4. How much will it cost and how long will it take to register my trade-mark?
A4. It depends. As with patents, there are many stages to the trade-mark registration, including filing, prosecution, issuance and maintenance. Trade-marks are also sometimes "opposed" by a third party which can give rise to additional costs. Also like patents, filing an application does not guarantee registration and individual costs will vary.
Q6. My company already has an in-house lawyer. Will McKay IP change our lawyer's role?
A6. McKay IP is an intellectual property agency firm, not a law firm. We will work with your lawyers to assist them with the IP-related aspects of their work. As a dedicated IP professionals, we limit our role to those questions and areas where it is not reasonable to expect general counsel to be expert or to have the time to follow developments closely. We do not get involved with issues which have no IP component.
A1. An initial consultation (approximately 30 minutes) is free.
Q2. If my company is not located in Ottawa, can I still use McKay IP?
A2. Yes. It is common for clients to use out-of-town intellectual property firms. All necessary information and discussions can be shared by telephone, e-mail and videoconference. (Although we will still try to come and see you when we are in your area.)
Q3. How much will it cost and how long will it take to get a patent for my invention?
A3. It depends. The costs for preparing and filing a single patent application for a single invention can start at only a few thousand dollars and filing can often be completed within a couple of weeks if all the necessary information is provided up front. However, more complex inventions and filing in multiple countries can increase costs and time. Additionally, once a patent application is filed, it will be "examined" by Patent Examiners employed by the Patent Office in each country where the application was filed. This is called "patent prosecution" and it is difficult to predict the time and expense involved for a particular case. Additionally, there are government costs to keep the patent application active during this time, and costs associated with issuance of a patent when an application is successful. If the Examiner agrees to allow patent protection on aspects of your invention, there will be costs associated with the issuance of the patent and to keep it alive during its term. If you opt to seek patent protection in Europe or in non-English-speaking countries, there will also be costs for the translation of the patent and additional governmental and professional fees will arise.
Q4. How much will it cost and how long will it take to register my trade-mark?
A4. It depends. As with patents, there are many stages to the trade-mark registration, including filing, prosecution, issuance and maintenance. Trade-marks are also sometimes "opposed" by a third party which can give rise to additional costs. Also like patents, filing an application does not guarantee registration and individual costs will vary.
Q6. My company already has an in-house lawyer. Will McKay IP change our lawyer's role?
A6. McKay IP is an intellectual property agency firm, not a law firm. We will work with your lawyers to assist them with the IP-related aspects of their work. As a dedicated IP professionals, we limit our role to those questions and areas where it is not reasonable to expect general counsel to be expert or to have the time to follow developments closely. We do not get involved with issues which have no IP component.
McKay IP