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- 2026-04-2311 min read
The 12-month provisional deadline: how not to miss it (2026)
The single most important date in your patent timeline. How the 12-month clock is measured, the 3 paths at T+12mo (non-provisional, PCT, lapse), 5 calendar traps solo inventors hit, and the last-30-days playbook if you're behind.
- 2026-04-2311 min read
Trade secrets vs. patents: when each makes more sense (2026)
Not every invention should be patented. The reverse-engineering test, the five questions that pick the path, the three hybrid strategies sophisticated inventors actually use, and how to maintain a trade secret if you're a solo-inventor-sized team.
- 2026-04-239 min read
When should you bring in a patent attorney? (2026 decision guide)
The five decision points every solo inventor faces: pre-provisional, pre-non-provisional, office actions, prior-art search, and licensing. What practitioners actually do, what you can DIY, and where skimping costs you. With 2026 price ranges.
- 2026-04-237 min read
How to describe your invention for a prior-art search (2026)
The 5-ingredient recipe for writing a search query that actually finds the right prior art. Field + problem + mechanism + components + outcome. Template you can copy plus common mistakes to avoid.
- 2026-04-238 min read
Do you qualify for USPTO micro-entity status? ($65 fee, 2026 guide)
Three-step qualification walkthrough for solo inventors. Income threshold, 4-prior-application rule, and the assignment-obligation trap. Plus SB/15A form mechanics and how to recertify when life changes.
- 2026-04-239 min read
How to draft patent claims for a solo inventor (2026)
The claims at the end of a patent application are the only part that matters legally. Anatomy of a claim, the five-step process for writing your first independent claim, common §112 mistakes, and when to bring in a practitioner.
- 2026-04-238 min read
What happens after you file a provisional patent? (The 12-month countdown)
The post-filing playbook for solo inventors. The T+0/T+3/T+6/T+9/T+11 milestones, what 'patent pending' actually protects, the three paths at T+12mo (non-provisional, PCT, lapse), and the 5 mistakes we see most.
- 2026-04-239 min read
Provisional vs non-provisional patent: which should you file first?
A 2026 decision guide for solo inventors. When to file a $65 provisional, when to go straight to a $400+ non-provisional, and the six-question framework that picks between them. Includes the enablement trap that kills priority claims.
- 2026-04-239 min read
Can AI write a patent? What actually works in 2026
Honest breakdown of what AI does well in patent drafting (spec prose, claim parallelism, formality checks) vs badly (claim-scope strategy, §101 judgment, hallucinated prior art). The hybrid workflow that ships defensible provisionals.
- 2026-04-239 min read
What does a provisional patent actually cost in 2026? (line-item breakdown)
The real all-in cost of filing a provisional patent as a solo inventor. USPTO fees, hidden drafting costs, attorney price spreads, and the hybrid AI-plus-practitioner path that ships for $515–$765 total.
- 2026-04-238 min read
How to run a prior-art search before you file (2026 playbook)
The free databases, the search workflow, and how to decide whether to file a provisional. A solo-inventor playbook that covers Google Patents, Espacenet, Lens.org, and USPTO PPUBS.
- 2026-04-237 min read
How to file a provisional patent application in 2026 (solo inventor)
A provisional gives you a filing date and 12 months of 'patent pending' for $65 (micro-entity). What to write, what to file, and what most solo inventors get wrong.