The Hard Truth
Most Patents Are a Money Transfer — From Inventor to Attorney
⚠ A Real Example
The inventor of Ward Effect Technology was quoted NZ$260,000 by a New Zealand law firm to lodge the PCT application for his patent.
“I filed it myself.”
KIPO — the Korean Intellectual Property Office, acting as International Searching Authority — subsequently confirmed all 13 claims novel, inventive, and industrially applicable. The patent has since been granted in New Zealand, USA, India, and the Philippines.
The difference between NZ$260,000 and the actual cost was time and knowledge. Not complexity. Not special skill. The patent office does not care who files — it cares whether the application is correct.
⚠ How Attorneys Inflate Fees on an Already-Granted Patent
The Ward Effect patent has already been:
- Drafted in full — the complete specification is approximately 50 pages
- Examined by IPONZ (New Zealand) and granted
- Searched by KIPO with all 13 claims confirmed novel and inventive
- Granted in multiple international jurisdictions
Despite this, an attorney will typically quote to re-examine the entire specification at $400–$600 per hour — for work that has already been done. A 50-page patent examined at $500/hour for 20 hours = $10,000 for reading a document.
This is not necessary. Their job in your country is to file an already-proven document, handle correspondence with your local patent office, and request examination. That is it.
The Reality
What the Numbers Actually Look Like
There are three legitimate cost components. Demand an itemised quote that separates all three — any attorney who refuses to itemise is hiding inflation.
| Cost Component | What It Covers | Fair Range (USD) |
|---|
| Government Filing Fee | Paid directly to the national patent office. Fixed. Non-negotiable. | $200 – $800 |
| Translation | Required for non-English countries only. ~12,000–15,000 words at $0.10–$0.20/word. | $1,200 – $3,000 |
| Attorney Filing Fee | Filing the completed application and handling office correspondence. NOT re-drafting. | $800 – $1,500 |
| Realistic Total — English-speaking country | $1,000 – $2,300 |
| Realistic Total — translation required | $2,200 – $5,300 |
| ⚠ Inflated attorney quote — what you will likely be shown first | $8,000 – $15,000+ |
By Territory
Approximate National Phase Costs by Country
Realistic estimates based on government fees plus fair attorney representation. Translation adds $1,200–$3,000 for non-English countries. Annual renewal fees are additional in every country.
| Country | Translation Required | Realistic Cost (USD) |
|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | No | $1,500 – $2,500 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | No | $1,600 – $2,500 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | No (English) | $1,600 – $2,500 |
| 🇮🇳 India | No | $1,600 – $2,500 |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | No | $2,000 – $3,000 |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | No | $2,000 – $3,000 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | No | $2,500 – $3,500 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | Yes (Korean) | $3,500 – $5,000 |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Yes (Bahasa) | $3,500 – $5,000 |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | Yes (Thai) | $3,500 – $5,000 |
| 🇨🇳 China | Yes (Mandarin) | $4,000 – $6,000 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | Yes (Portuguese) | $4,000 – $6,000 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | Yes (Spanish) | $4,000 – $6,000 |
| 🇯🇦 Japan | Yes (Japanese) | $5,000 – $7,000 |
| 🇪🇺 Europe (EPO) | Partial | $6,000 – $9,000 |
| Annual renewal/maintenance fees — additional in every country | $200 – $1,500/yr |
Your Most Powerful Tool
The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
The Patent Prosecution Highway is an agreement between most major patent offices that allows fast-track examination in a second country by using the positive results from a first country's examination.
Ward Effect Technology has been examined and granted in New Zealand, confirmed by KIPO, and granted in the USA, India, and the Philippines. In most PPH member countries your attorney can submit the NZ and KIPO results and request accelerated examination — significantly reducing examiner workload and therefore time and cost.
Any attorney who does not mention the PPH when quoting on a Ward Effect national phase application is either uninformed or not working in your interest. Ask for it explicitly before signing any engagement letter.
The Affiliate Pathway
How the Ward Effect Patent Filing Works — Step by Step
Case 831742 Granted by IPONZ
Ward Effect Technology receives grant of Case 831742 in New Zealand. The complete specification — approximately 50 pages — is finalised and proven. This is the trigger for all national phase filings.
PCT Application Filed via KIPO
Ward Effect Technology files a PCT application using the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) as International Searching Authority — the same authority that confirmed all 13 claims of the prior patent family novel, inventive, and industrially applicable.
Affiliate Engages and Pays Local Patent Attorney
The affiliate in each territory identifies and engages their own local patent attorney. The affiliate pays all fees. Ward Effect Technology has no financial obligation in the national phase. The affiliate receives the complete specification and KIPO search results from Ward Effect Technology at no charge.
National Phase Filing with PPH Request
The attorney files the national phase application and requests PPH fast-track examination using the NZ and KIPO results. A standard royalty agreement — agreed at the time of filing — is simultaneously lodged with the application and recorded at the national patent office.
Patent Granted — Rights Assigned to Affiliate
Upon grant, the national patent rights are assigned to the affiliate under the royalty agreement. The affiliate holds exclusive rights in their territory. The assignment is recorded at the national patent office, creating a public record of both the licence and its transfer conditions.
Full Commercial Freedom — Two Conditions Only
The affiliate may manufacture, sublicence, import, modify, and develop new applications freely — subject only to two non-negotiable conditions: clean water applications remain open source, and all other applications are covered by the royalty agreement set at the time of filing.
Protect Yourself
Questions to Ask Before Engaging Any Patent Attorney
✓ Always Request These — In Writing — Before Signing Anything
- Please provide an itemised quote separating government fees, translation costs, and attorney hours.
- Are you familiar with the Patent Prosecution Highway and will you use it for this application?
- The specification is complete and already granted in New Zealand — what drafting work do you anticipate?
- What is your hourly rate and how many hours do you estimate for filing and prosecution?
- What are the annual renewal and maintenance fees in this country?
- Will you record the licence and royalty agreement at the national patent office simultaneously with filing?
- What is your experience with PCT national phase applications in this jurisdiction?
⚠ Walk Away If an Attorney:
- Refuses to itemise government fees, translation, and attorney hours separately
- Quotes for re-drafting a specification that is already complete and granted
- Cannot explain the Patent Prosecution Highway or claims it does not apply
- Charges per-page fees to review a document you have provided in full
- Quotes more than $5,300 for an English-language country
- Quotes more than $8,000 for a translation-required country
- Pressures you to file additional claims without clear commercial justification
📋 A Final Reminder
The world of patents is dominated by attorneys who profit from complexity and inventor anxiety. Most granted patents never generate income. The Ward Effect patent family is unusual — independently confirmed by an international searching authority, granted in multiple jurisdictions, and now entering commercial application through a structured affiliate network.
The specification is complete. The science is proven. The search is done. Your attorney's job is to file it correctly, correspond with your local patent office, and record the assignment. That is a defined, bounded task — not an open-ended engagement.
Know what you are paying for. Demand itemisation. Use the PPH. Budget realistically. Contact Ward Effect Technology before signing any engagement letter with a patent attorney.