[alok-g]

Keep in mind that this is the costs for filing in one country. Each country where the invention needs to be protected needs its own filing, though this would generally be cheaper since much of the work (patent attorney fees) is already done when filing the first one. I have heard that big companies end up something half-a-million dollars for pursuing, what they consider worthy inventions, in all significant economies.

[analog31]

A patent holder only needs to make your life miserable in one country. At one place where I worked, we used to patent in:

1. USA 2. The main competitor's home country