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Frequently asked questions about patents.

• 01How long does it take to get a patent?

  Timelines vary by office, technology area, and the route chosen, and acceleration options exist in some cases. Lynch LLP plans filing cadence and prosecution against your product timeline so the prosecution arc lines up with launches and financings rather than drifting on its own schedule.
• 02What's the difference between a provisional and a non-provisional patent application?

  A provisional secures an early filing date and buys time before the formal, examined application; a non-provisional is the application a patent office actually examines and that can mature into an issued patent. The benefit of a provisional depends on what it actually describes, so its quality matters. Lynch LLP advises which path fits the budget and product timing.
• 03How does Lynch LLP approach patent-filing timing?

  Disclosure timing drives international rights — the U.S. and most foreign systems treat an inventor's own pre-filing disclosure very differently. Lynch LLP's engagements are strategy first, filings second: we map disclosure events, product milestones, and competitive timing into a 12–36 month roadmap before the first application goes out.

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• 04Can software be patented?

  Yes — software is patentable when claims recite a specific technical improvement rather than an abstract idea applied on a generic computer. Lynch LLP drafts software claims with eligibility in mind from the disclosure stage, focusing on architecture, data structures, and measurable technical effects rather than functional outcomes.
• 05What is patent prosecution?

  Patent prosecution is the back-and-forth with a patent office that follows the initial filing — responding to office actions, amending claims, conducting examiner interviews, and ultimately securing allowance. Good prosecution is enforcement-aware: how claims are amended shapes the scope you can later assert. Lynch LLP drafts and prosecutes with downstream enforcement in mind so the issued claims actually do work.
• 06What does the patent process cost?

  Lynch LLP uses a phase-based fee structure with fixed fees inside a clearly scoped plan where appropriate. Costs depend on the technology, the prior-art landscape, and the jurisdictions involved. Expect transparent budget ranges at the strategy stage, with each subsequent phase scoped against an agreed roadmap rather than billed on an open-ended hourly basis.
• 07What is a continuation application and why would we file one?

  A continuation is a follow-on application that lets you pursue different claim scope on the same disclosure while an earlier application is still pending. It's a core portfolio tool: secure issuance on the parent, keep a child open to pursue broader scope, capture competitor designs, or match how a product evolves after filing. Lynch LLP plans continuation strategy alongside the parent prosecution.
• 08What happens if our application is rejected?

  Rejections are a routine part of prosecution. Each type calls for a different response — clarifying claim language, substantive amendment, an examiner interview, continued examination, a continuation, or an appeal. Lynch LLP weighs the cost-benefit of each path against which claims carry real commercial value rather than prosecuting claims for their own sake.

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