Patent Allowance

Once you have an allowance, you are on your way to having a little slice the every-expanding intellectual property pie. There are still more steps to take and fees to pay.

Fees

At present the fees associated with a patent allowance are roughly $1,170 for a utility patent issuance for a small entity. 

Once the patent office receives the issuance fee, they will set a date for publication and assign a patent number.

Corrections

When you receive your patent ribbon copy, be sure to inspect it thoroughly for any incorrect information.  If something needs to be corrected on the document, the Patent Office will issue a certificate of correction.

Patent Assignment

The Patent Office always assigns ownership of an issued patent to the inventor/applicant.  At any time during the life of a patent (and in the life of the patent application) ownership can be assigned to a party other than the inventor/applicant. For example, if you work for a company and you invent something in connection with your work, you would be named as the inventor on the patent, but you would likely be required to sign over ownership of the patent to your employer.

If you are independent, you may have a LLC that you do business through or an entity that you want to hold your IP.

The actual transfer of ownership is a private matter, a sale between two parties.  However, you can record that transfer of ownership with the Patent Office.