# Intellectual property services for startups and inventors > Intellectual property services from a flat-fee IP law firm. Patents, trademarks, IP litigation and startup legal work for founders and inventors nationwide. Page: https://arapackelaw.com/services/ Title: Flat-Fee Intellectual Property Services | Rapacke Law Group Breadcrumb: [Home](https://arapackelaw.com/) / [Services](https://arapackelaw.com/services/) Patents, trademarks, IP disputes and business legal work from one IP law firm. Every engagement is quoted flat, and four services carry The RLG Guarantee. - No hourly billing - 2,000+ patents and trademarks secured - Registered patent attorneys ## Four service lines, one firm. Pick a line to see every service in it. The four covered services, the patentability search, provisional patents, design patents and trademarks, carry The RLG Guarantee. ## Not sure which you need? Start from what is happening in your business. Most clients need more than one of these, and the Intelligent IP Quiz sorts it out in about a minute. [Take the Intelligent IP Quiz](https://arapackelaw.com/intelligent-ip-quiz/). - You built something new. [A patent, starting with the patentability search](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/) - You are naming a company or product. [A trademark, cleared before you launch](https://arapackelaw.com/trademarks/) - Someone copied you, or says you copied them. [IP litigation, often starting with a letter](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/) - You are forming, hiring or raising money. [Startup legal services, from formation to funding](https://arapackelaw.com/startups/) ## IP counsel that knows your field. Our attorneys come from engineering and science. Pick your industry to see what we protect there. - [3D printing](https://arapackelaw.com/industries/3d-printing/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/industries/3d-printing.md). Printers, processes, materials and the products they make. - [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. ## What to know before you hire an IP law firm. Plain answers to the questions founders ask before they protect anything. General information, not advice on your situation. ### What does an intellectual property law firm do? It helps you own, register and enforce the things your business creates. That means searching before you file, preparing applications to the USPTO, answering examiners, drafting the agreements that keep ownership with the company, and taking action when someone copies you or claims you copied them. Patent work before the USPTO is done by registered patent attorneys, who have passed the USPTO's registration exam on top of being licensed lawyers. Trademark, copyright, contract and litigation work does not need that registration, which is why an IP firm's team usually mixes both. ### Patent vs trademark vs copyright vs trade secret *The four types of intellectual property compared* | Type | What it protects | How long it lasts | | --- | --- | --- | | [**Patent**](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/) | How an invention works, or how a product looks | Utility patents generally 20 years from filing. Design patents 15 years from grant | | [**Trademark**](https://arapackelaw.com/trademarks/) | A name, logo or slogan that tells customers who a product comes from | As long as you use it and keep the registration maintained, with a filing between years 5 and 6 and renewals every 10 years | | [**Copyright**](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/copyright-litigation/) | Original work such as code, writing, images and design | The author's life plus 70 years. Work made for hire, 95 years from publication or 120 from creation, whichever ends first | | [**Trade secret**](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/trade-secret-litigation/) | Confidential information that is valuable because it is secret, like source code, formulas or customer data | As long as it stays secret | - **Patents** come from applying to the USPTO and passing examination. - **Trademarks** start with use. Federal registration at the USPTO adds a legal presumption that you own the mark. - **Copyright** is automatic when the work is created. Registration is required before suing over a US work. - **Trade secrets** last only while you keep them secret, with access limits and NDAs. Most companies end up with more than one. A software product can have a patent on how it works, copyright in its code, a trademark on its name and trade secrets in its back end. For a longer comparison, read [copyright vs patent vs trademark](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/copyright-vs-patent-vs-trademark/). ### When do you need an IP attorney? - **Before you go public with an invention.** A launch, demo, sale or post can start deadlines that cost patent rights. - **Before you name a company or product.** A conflict search now is cheaper than a rebrand later. - **When someone outside the company builds for you.** Code or designs from a contractor are not yours without a written assignment. - **Before you raise money or sell the company.** Investors and buyers check who owns the IP. - **When the USPTO writes back.** Office actions have deadlines, usually three months, extendable to six. - **When someone copies you, or sends you a letter.** What you do first can shape the whole dispute. ### What should a startup protect first? 1. **Ownership.** Written assignments from founders, employees and contractors, and [NDAs](https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas/) before you share details with partners. 2. **Your name.** A trademark search and application before launch, so the brand you build is one you can keep. 3. **Your invention.** A patentability search, then a provisional before anything goes public. 4. **Everything else, as you grow.** International filings within 12 months of your first filing, through [PCT applications](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/pct-patents/) and [international trademarks](https://arapackelaw.com/international-trademarks/), then licensing, and enforcement when it is needed. Read more in [how to protect your IP](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property/how-to-protect-your-ip/). ## How working with us goes. The same path for a patent, a trademark or a contract. Timing shown is typical, never a promised date. 1. **Strategy call** (Day one). Free. Tell an attorney what you are building, naming or facing. 2. **The right service** (On the call). Patent, trademark, dispute or startup work, or a mix. 3. **Flat quote** (No hourly billing). One fee per step, confirmed before any work begins. 4. **Search first** ($999 patent search). A patentability or trademark conflict search, where a filing is involved. 5. **You review and approve** (At your pace). Nothing is filed or sent until you approve it. 6. **Filed or signed** (Our team). Filed with the USPTO, sent to the other side, or signed and in force. 7. **Ongoing**. Office actions, maintenance and enforcement as your portfolio grows. ## Questions about our IP services. ### What intellectual property services do you offer? Four service lines. Patents, from the patentability search to provisional, utility, design and PCT filings and post-grant proceedings. Trademarks, in the US and abroad, including office actions and TTAB proceedings. IP litigation over patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. And startup legal services, from formation and contracts to fundraising and ongoing counsel. ### How much do your intellectual property services cost? Filings are flat fees, quoted before any work begins. The patentability search is $999, provisional patents run $2,500 to $3,500, design patents are $3,200, trademarks are $2,000 with the USPTO fee for one class included, and utility applications run $7,000 to $12,000. Litigation and startup legal work are quoted on your call. ### What is the difference between a patent, a trademark and a copyright? A patent protects an invention, how something works or looks. A trademark protects the name or logo customers know you by. A copyright protects original work like code, writing and design. Trade secrets cover the confidential information you never publish. Most businesses use more than one. ### Do you handle copyrights? Yes. We handle copyright disputes, including infringement of code, content and design. Copyright exists the moment a work is created, but a US work has to be registered before you can sue over it, and registering early keeps statutory damages and attorney fees available. More in our [copyright articles](https://arapackelaw.com/category/copyright/) and on [copyright litigation](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/copyright-litigation/). ### Can you help protect trade secrets? Yes, before and after a problem. [NDAs](https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas/) and agreements keep confidential information with the company, and [trade secret litigation](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/trade-secret-litigation/) enforces it when someone takes it. A trade secret lasts only as long as you keep it secret, so the agreements matter as much as the lawsuit. ### Do you work with clients outside Florida? Yes. The firm works with founders, inventors and companies in all 50 states. Patent and trademark applications are filed with the USPTO, so the work does not depend on where you live. For protection abroad, we file PCT applications and international trademarks. ### Which services does The RLG Guarantee cover? Four services. Patentability searches, provisional patents, design patents and trademarks. If the search finds your invention is not novel, a full refund or another search. Patentability issues on a provisional, a full refund or more searches. If the USPTO denies a covered design patent or trademark application, a full refund. Utility patents, office actions on them, litigation and startup legal work are not covered. The guarantee is a refund promise, not a promise of a granted patent or registration, and refunds are subject to the RLG Guarantee Policy in your engagement letter. ### Do I need an IP attorney, or can I file myself? You can file yourself. The risk is in what is hard to fix later. A patent application cannot take on new material after it is filed, and a trademark filed without a conflict search can be refused or challenged. An attorney is most useful before the first filing, when the choices are still open. ### What happens on the free strategy call? You tell us what you are building, naming or dealing with. You leave knowing which service fits, what it costs as a flat fee, and what to do first. There is no obligation. ### Do you handle business and corporate law? For startups and growing companies, yes. Business formation, contracts, NDAs, fundraising agreements, licensing, privacy and FDA regulatory work, plus fractional IP counsel for ongoing questions. It all sits under our startup legal services. ## 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. - Chris Watt, Registered Patent Attorney, Former USPTO Examiner. Software, AI and machine learning, and MedTech. A full-stack software engineer. - [Ken Brooks](https://arapackelaw.com/team/ken-brooks/), Registered Patent Attorney. Software, AI and machine learning, electrical and mechanical systems. - [Casey Goldenberg](https://arapackelaw.com/team/casey-goldenberg/), Attorney, Trademarks and Patent Prosecution. Trademarks and patent prosecution, from a scientific background. Meet the team at https://arapackelaw.com/learn-more/the-team/ ## Learn the basics. - [What Are the 4 Types of Intellectual Property? Empower Your Ideas With Legal Protection](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property/what-are-the-4-types-of-intellectual-property/) - [How Much a Flat Fee IP Attorney Costs and What to Expect](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property/flat-fee-ip-attorney/) - [5 Examples of Trade Secrets and How They Fit into Your Intellectual Property Strategy](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property/examples-of-trade-secrets/) [All IP articles](https://arapackelaw.com/category/intellectual-property/) ## 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.