# 3D printing patent attorneys for additive manufacturing teams > Flat-fee 3D printing patent attorney services for printer, material and product makers. Start with a $999 patentability search, refunded if it isn't patentable. Page: https://arapackelaw.com/industries/3d-printing/ Title: 3D Printing Patent Attorney for Additive Manufacturing Breadcrumb: [Home](https://arapackelaw.com/) / [Industries](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/) / [3D printing](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/3d-printing/) We protect the printer, the process, the material and the printed product, filed before the design file is shared. One flat fee for each step. - $999 patentability search - No hourly billing - Registered patent attorneys ## For the people who build with additive manufacturing. From a startup building a new printer to a brand selling printed products, the work starts the same way. Find out what is new, then protect it before the machine, the material or the file is shared. - **Printer and hardware makers** Printers, print heads, build platforms and the hardware that makes printing faster, more accurate or able to use new materials. - **Materials developers** Powders, resins, filaments and the formulations that change what can be printed and how the part performs. - **Print software teams** Slicing, toolpath and process control software, claimed as a technical process tied to the build. - **Product makers and brands** Companies printing finished parts and products, from custom components to consumer goods, protected before launch. ## Four things worth protecting in 3D printing. Additive manufacturing has more layers of protection than most fields. A patent can cover the machine, the process or the material, a design patent the shape of the printed product, and a trademark the name on all of it. ### The printer and how it builds (utility patent) Print heads, build chambers, lasers and the mechanisms that make a printer faster, more accurate or able to print new materials. Claims are written around what your machine does better than what is on the market today. - Print heads and extruders - Powder bed and resin systems - Build platforms and enclosures - Post-processing equipment ### Processes, materials and software (utility patent) New ways to build, new powders and resins, and the software that plans each layer, claimed as process steps and compositions, so a competitor has to avoid both the method and the material. - Build and toolpath methods - Powders, resins and filaments - Slicing and process control - Printed lattices and structures ### The shape of the printed product (design patent) The ornamental design of a printed product, a part or the printer itself, protected for 15 years from grant. Once a file circulates, a shape is easy to copy, and the shape is what a design patent covers. - Printed products and parts - Printer housings - Control screens and interfaces Covered by The RLG Guarantee (USPTO denies it, full refund). ### The printer, material and brand name (trademark) Clear and file the name before it goes on the machine, the spool or the store, so the name customers reorder by is one you can keep. - Printer and material names - Company names - Logos Covered by The RLG Guarantee (Approved, or your money back). **Some things stay secret.** Print parameters, powder recipes and machine settings no one can learn from the finished part may be worth more as trade secrets than as published patents. Your attorney tells you which on your first call. ## Search, provisional, utility. Flat fees at every step. Every step is quoted before any work begins, and the search fee is credited when you file. Most 3D printing founders file a provisional before a design file is shared, a crowdfunding campaign or a trade show, then the full application within 12 months. ### Start here, Patentability search **$999** flat fee. Patentable or your money back. Credited when you file. Report in about 5 days. - An invention discovery call with your attorney - A search of US and foreign patents and published applications - A written patentability report and a review call Covered by [The RLG Guarantee](https://arapackelaw.com/rlg-guarantee/) (Not patentable, full refund). ### Then, Provisional patent **$2,500 to $3,500** flat fee. . Patent pending the day it is filed. - A strategy call to capture how the machine, process or material works - Drafted by a registered patent attorney - You review and approve it before filing Covered by [The RLG Guarantee](https://arapackelaw.com/rlg-guarantee/) (Patentability issues, full refund). ### Within 12 months, Non-provisional patent **$7,000 to $12,000** flat fee. Drawings and USPTO filing fees included. Filed before your 12-month deadline. - Machine, process and material claims written for examination - Formal drawings and USPTO filing fees - Complex systems quoted flat on your call Flat fee, not covered by the guarantee. ### Alongside the patent - **Design patent, $3,200.** For the printed product or the printer, office actions included. Covered by The RLG Guarantee. - **Trademark, $2,000.** For the printer, material or brand name, USPTO fee for one class included. Covered by The RLG Guarantee. ## Protect the object. Plan for the file. In 3D printing, a product can travel as a file and be made anywhere. A patent decides who can make, use and sell the invention. How the file is shared decides when the invention becomes public and how easy it is to copy. ### Patent, who can make and sell it 1. **Search** ($999). What is already out there? 2. **Provisional** (File first). Patent pending, before the file is shared 3. **Full application** (Month 12). Within 12 months 4. **Examination** (USPTO). The USPTO reviews the claims 5. **Granted**. Rights you can enforce ### File, when others see it 1. **Design and test prints** (Keep it in-house). CAD models and prototypes 2. **Print services and suppliers** (Use an NDA). Service bureaus and material partners 3. **File posted or sold** (Disclosure risk). Marketplaces, forums and repositories 4. **Product launch**. Printed parts reach customers 5. **Copies appear**. Printed from a shared or copied file **File before you share the file.** Posting a design file, sending it to a print service without an NDA, a crowdfunding page or a trade show can make an invention public. The US gives you one year after your own disclosure, but most other countries do not. File at least a provisional first. - **A file is not the product.** Making a patented product infringes the patent, so printing a patented part does. Selling or sharing the file is harder to reach directly, which is why claims cover the printing method and the printed product, and anyone who actively encourages others to print it can be liable for inducing infringement. [Can you patent 3D printing innovations](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/can-you-patent-3d-printing-innovations/) - **Copyright covers art, not function.** A sculptural design or the artwork in a model can carry copyright, but copyright does not protect the useful, functional features of an object. A utility patent protects how a part works, and a design patent protects its ornamental shape. [Copyright vs patent protection](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/difference-between-copyright-and-patent-protection/) - **Printing a known product is not new.** Making a known product by 3D printing is usually not enough for a patent on its own. What can be patented is what printing makes possible, such as a lattice, a part that could not be molded or a new material. A search shows where the line sits. [Using prior art to your advantage](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/can-you-patent-something-that-already-exists/) *General information, not legal advice. How a patent applies to design files and printed copies depends on the claims, the facts and where the printing happens.* ## Services for 3D printing companies. One firm for the patent, the brand and the agreements around them. - [Utility patents](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/utility-patents/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/patents/utility-patents.md). Protect the machine, process or material. - [Provisional patents](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/provisional-patents/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/patents/provisional-patents.md). Patent pending before the file is shared. Covered by The RLG Guarantee. - [Design patents](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/design-patents/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/patents/design-patents.md). Protect the shape of the printed product. Covered by The RLG Guarantee. - [Trademarks](https://arapackelaw.com/trademarks/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/trademarks.md). Register the printer, material and brand name. Covered by The RLG Guarantee. - [Cease and desist letters](https://arapackelaw.com/cease-desist-letters/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/cease-desist-letters.md). Tell a seller of copied parts to stop. - [IP licensing agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property-licensing-agreements/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property-licensing-agreements.md). License a design or process in or out. - [Non-disclosure agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas.md). Share files with print services on your terms. - [Patent litigation](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/patent-litigation/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/patent-litigation.md). Enforce or defend a 3D printing patent. ## Before you file. ### Can you patent a 3D printed product? Yes, if the product itself is new and not obvious. How it was made does not decide it. A known product made by printing is usually not patentable for that reason alone, while a new structure, such as a lattice or a part that could not be made another way, can be. A design patent can also protect a printed product's ornamental shape. ### Can a 3D printing process or material be patented? Yes. New build methods, toolpath and process control steps, powders, resins and filaments are patentable when they are new and not obvious. Process claims cover the steps and composition claims cover the material, so a competitor has to avoid both. ### Is sharing or selling an STL file patent infringement? It depends on the claims and the facts. Printing a patented product makes it, which infringes. Selling or sharing a file is not the same as making the product, but someone who actively encourages others to print a patented design can be liable for inducing infringement. Claims written around the printing method and the printed product make copies easier to act on. ### Is a 3D model protected by copyright? The artistic and sculptural parts of a model can be. Copyright does not cover the useful, functional features of an object, so a functional part needs a utility patent, and its ornamental shape a design patent. Many printed products are worth protecting in more than one way. ### Can I patent a design I already posted online? In the US, you have one year from your own public disclosure to file. Most other countries require filing before any disclosure, so posting a file first can give up foreign rights. File at least a provisional before the design goes up. ### How much does a 3D printing patent cost with your firm? Flat fees at every step. A $999 patentability search, a provisional application at $2,500 to $3,500 depending on the invention, and a non-provisional application at $7,000 to $12,000 with drawings and USPTO filing fees included. A design patent is $3,200. Every fee is quoted before work begins, and the search fee is credited toward your application. ### What does The RLG Guarantee cover for 3D printing inventions? The patentability search, the provisional application, design patents and trademarks. If the search finds your invention is not novel, you get a full refund or another search. If patentability issues come up on your provisional, a full refund or more searches. If the USPTO denies your design application, you get a full refund. If it refuses your trademark, you get a refund or a new mark. Non-provisional applications are not covered. Refunds are subject to the RLG Guarantee Policy in your engagement letter. ## Your attorneys - [Andrew Rapacke](https://arapackelaw.com/learn-more/the-team/andrew-rapacke/), Managing Partner, Registered Patent Attorney. Electrical and computer engineering. Former Naval Engineering Officer. - [Ken Brooks](https://arapackelaw.com/team/ken-brooks/), Registered Patent Attorney. Software, AI and machine learning, electrical and mechanical systems. Meet the team at https://arapackelaw.com/learn-more/the-team/ ## Go deeper before you file. - [Can You Patent 3D Printing Innovations? Everything You Need To Know](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/can-you-patent-3d-printing-innovations/) - [Design Patent vs Utility Patent: Shield Your Product Design with the Right Legal Protection](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/design-patent-vs-utility-patent/) - [The Difference Between Copyright and Patent Protection and Why Most Choose Wrong](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/difference-between-copyright-and-patent-protection/) - [Open Source Patent Protection: Can You Patent Something That You’re Open Sourcing?](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/open-source-patent/) - [How to Patent a Process and Build an Unbreakable Business Moat](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/how-to-patent-a-process/) - [Why Every Innovator Needs a Patent Non Disclosure Agreement Before Sharing Ideas](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property/patent-non-disclosure-agreement/) [All articles](https://arapackelaw.com/learning-center/) ## Other industries - [Aerospace](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/aerospace/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/aerospace.md). Aircraft, drones and spacecraft, protected before the first public flight. - [AI and machine learning](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ai-machine-learning/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ai-machine-learning.md). Models, training methods and the AI features inside your product. - [Autonomous vehicles](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/autonomous-vehicles/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/autonomous-vehicles.md). Sensing, navigation and control systems for vehicles that drive themselves. - [Blockchain](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/blockchain/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/blockchain.md). Protocols, wallets and the technical methods behind decentralized products. - [Computer hardware](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/computer-hardware/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/computer-hardware.md). Components, peripherals and the systems that tie them together. - [Consumer electronics](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-electronics/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-electronics.md). Devices people carry and use every day, from how they work to how they look. - [Consumer products](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-products/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/consumer-products.md). Everyday products and the brands on them, protected before launch. - [Cybersecurity](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/cybersecurity/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/cybersecurity.md). Security software and hardware, and what to patent or keep secret. - [Defense](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/defense/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/defense.md). Defense technology, planned around contracts and export rules. - [Digital health](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/digital-health/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/digital-health.md). Telehealth, remote monitoring and health apps, built around patient data. - [E-commerce](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ecommerce/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/ecommerce.md). Online brands and Amazon sellers, from the trademark to the product itself. - [Electrical hardware](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/electrical/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/electrical.md). Power electronics, controls, sensors, batteries and motors, from circuit to system. - [Energy and clean tech](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/energy/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/energy.md). Batteries, solar, storage, charging and the grid, from the cell to the system. - [Fintech](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/fintech/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/fintech.md). Payments, lending and trading technology, claimed as technical improvements. - [Gaming](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/gaming/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/gaming.md). Game engines, mechanics, controllers and titles, protected before the reveal. - [Medical devices](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/medical-devices/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/medical-devices.md). Devices, diagnostics and software as a medical device, timed with the FDA. - [Robotics](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/robotics/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/robotics.md). Robots, grippers and the software that moves them, protected before the pilot. - [Semiconductors](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/semiconductors/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/semiconductors.md). Chip design, fabrication processes and packaging. - [Software and SaaS](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/software-saas/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/software-saas.md). The methods your platform performs, protected however the code is written. - [Sporting goods](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/sporting-goods/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/sporting-goods.md). Equipment and gear, from how it performs to the design customers recognize. ## Next steps - [Book a free strategy call](https://arapackelaw.com/contact-us/) with a registered patent attorney, or call (954) 951-0154 - [Take the Intelligent IP Quiz](https://arapackelaw.com/intelligent-ip-quiz/) to see what to protect first - [The RLG Guarantee](https://arapackelaw.com/rlg-guarantee/), the refund promise on four services General information, not legal advice.