Utah remains most cost-effective state for trademarks and patents
Salt Lake City, Utah, is unbeatable for patents, trademarks, and copyrights — and has the numbers to prove it.
The legal services market in Utah uniquely provides high-quality work at prices few coastal firms can match. Nowhere is this difference more stark than in intellectual property (IP). Utah ranks #8 for the most patent attorneys and patent agents per capita, beating out states like New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, and Colorado. Salt Lake City has more patent attorneys per capita than any other major metropolis outside the D.C. area. (Data presented below.) In fact, Salt Lake City, UT is home to more patent attorneys and agents than Montana, Nebraska, Hawaii, West Virginia, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, and Mississippi combined. (See footnotes 3 and 4.)
Not only does Utah have more patent attorneys, but Salt Lake City patent attorneys do more IP work. Utah generates more than its fair share of startups and growing businesses. For three years running, Utah won top ranking as Forbes Magazine’s “Best State for Business and Careers.” Utah provides an ideal environment for young businesses: a diverse economy and strong life sciences, information technology, aerospace, aviation, and other industry clusters; world-class centers for medical and engineering innovation; sensible tax environment; a young and educated workforce; and a high quality of life. These agile businesses innovate rapidly – generating IP which needs to be well-protected at reasonable cost. The Salt Lake City legal market has adapted to handle that challenge.
For example, top patent firms in major urban markets typically charge $700 or more per hour for their most experienced attorneys, or $300+ for new associates. (1) Fully prosecuting a simple patent application – an uncomplicated invention with no patentability problems – averages over $25,000 from drafting to issuance.(2) Utah attorneys are equipped to prosecute patents at roughly half the cost, with rates significantly below the national average, while providing the same skill, attention, and experience a client would expect from large New York firms.
For high-quality patent, trademark, and copyright work at prices that won’t break the bank, Salt Lake City, Utah is the place to start a search.
| City | Population (3) | Patent Attorneys/Agents (4) | Per 100,000 population |
| District of Columbia, DC | 601,723 | 2149 | 357.14 |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | 191,180 | 263 | 137.57 |
| Boston, MA | 645,966 | 786 | 121.68 |
| Chicago, IL | 2,719,000 | 1644 | 60.46 |
| Boise, ID | 214,237 | 58 | 27.07 |
| New York, NY | 8,406,000 | 1763 | 20.97 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 3,884,000 | 539 | 13.88 |
| State | Population (3) | Patent Attorneys/Agents (4) | Per 100,000 population |
| Delaware | 897,934 | 314 | 34.97 |
| Massachusetts | 6,547,629 | 1976 | 30.18 |
| Virginia | 8,001,024 | 2270 | 28.37 |
| Minnesota | 5,303,925 | 1147 | 21.63 |
| California | 37,253,956 | 7752 | 20.81 |
| Connecticut | 3,574,097 | 722 | 20.20 |
| Illinois | 12,830,632 | 2545 | 19.84 |
| Utah | 2,763,885 | 490 | 17.73 |
| New Jersey | 8,791,894 | 1554 | 17.68 |
| Maryland | 5,773,552 | 983 | 17.03 |
| New York | 19,378,102 | 3274 | 16.90 |
| Washington | 6,724,540 | 1024 | 15.23 |
| Colorado | 5,029,196 | 749 | 14.89 |
| Texas | 25,145,561 | 3131 | 12.45 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,702,379 | 1579 | 12.43 |
| Oregon | 3,831,074 | 447 | 11.67 |
| Ohio | 11,536,504 | 1290 | 11.18 |
| New Hampshire | 1,316,470 | 145 | 11.01 |
| Michigan | 9,883,640 | 1084 | 10.97 |
| Wisconsin | 5,686,986 | 523 | 9.20 |
| Missouri | 5,988,927 | 549 | 9.17 |
| North Carolina | 9,535,483 | 864 | 9.06 |
| Arizona | 6,392,017 | 534 | 8.35 |
| … | … | … | … |
| Maine | 1,328,361 | 48 | 3.61 |
| Hawaii | 1,360,301 | 47 | 3.46 |
| Alaska | 710,231 | 10 | 1.41 |
| Mississippi | 2,967,297 | 28 | 0.94 |
(1) Patent Cost Statistics, Billing Rates
(2) Patent Cost Statistics, Per Service
(3) 2010 Demographic Profile, US Census Bureau
(4) Registered Patent Attorneys / Agents, USPTO Registry, searched 29 October, 2014.