Patent application preparation entails several tasks, one of which is the creation of patent drawings. It is not only a time-consuming process but also requires a high level of accuracy to minimize the chances of office action/rejection by the examiner. Moreover, only a small fraction of patent applicants, be it individual inventors or corporates, have the skills or experience to produce appropriate patent drawings. Thus, it is advisable to avail patent drawing services from someone experienced in the field. However, it can be challenging to pick the right third-party patent drawing service provider.

The following article discusses five critical factors to consider while outsourcing patent drawings to a service provider. You will also learn where Sagacious IP stands on these. But before we discuss the five critical factors, let us understand the first step in selecting the right vendor.

Start with Basic Company Details

Inquiring about basic service information is unquestionably the first thing to do. One should also check the website layout to see if it is structured well. Professional email addresses of key service provider heads offer insight into the company. Furthermore, you should also learn about the business’ history, organizational structure, and the location of its offices. In case the company operates in multiple geographies, you can check if they have local representatives in the regions of your interest.

Do as much research about the company as possible to ensure that you are onboarding the right partner. Let us now move on to the five important factors to consider when outsourcing patent drawings to a vendor.

Significant Factors to Consider while availing Patent Drawing Services

By following the right steps, one can successfully hire the right subcontracting patent drawing partner. This is critical as a wrong vendor can result in low-quality work and additional expenses. The following tips can help you hire an ideal patent drawings vendor.

1. Data Confidentiality

Among the foremost criteria for a patent grant is the invention’s novelty, and preserving it requires maintaining confidentiality regarding the invention, drawings, design, and functionality. Thus, you must ensure that any details and information you share with the patent drawings partner are safe. You can enquire about the safety measures they have in place to protect against any breach and misuse of confidential information.

At Sagacious IP, we have non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) as well as data breach policies to ensure the highest safety levels for any client information entrusted to us. Moreover, we also perform regular security audits in our attempt to leave no stone unturned in data safety. Furthermore, Sagacious IP employs FTTP servers for file transfer. Furthermore, Sagacious IP is an ISO 27001:2013 certified company, which speaks volumes about the measures we take to prevent data breaches. The standard requires companies to establish, implement, maintain and continually improve their information security management system.

2. Software Capabilities

Illustrations need to clearly define inventions, which is often a challenge for novice applicants. Knowledge of the intricate nature of illustrations is a key factor in choosing the right patent illustrator. An expert patent drawing service provider must be adept with multiple tools and software to create flawless patent drawings. With several tools at an expert vendor’s disposal, they are able to promptly make minute changes to patent drawings upon the applicant’s request at a later stage. Therefore, it is imperative to choose a patent drawing service provider with the right means and tools to complete the task without any complications.

Furthermore, asking to prepare a sample before project allotment can be immensely beneficial for both parties. While it can help the applicant decide whether to hire the vendor, the inventor’s approval on the sample drawings can reduce the number of alterations for the patent drawing service provider.

At Sagacious IP, we leverage quality parameters and a quality checklist to ensure the highest standard of patent drawings. We perform quality checks in three stages, namely:

• Quality check by the Drafter
• Evaluation by the Team Supervisor
• Final Analysis by the Quality Manager

This guarantees the overall quality of drawings and compliance with the relevant jurisdiction’s guidelines.

3. Experience and Knowledge in the Field

This is the most crucial checkpoint to clear before partnering with a patent drawing services provider. Always check if their capabilities, skills, and knowledge match your requirements, and whether they are versatile enough to follow the unique guidelines and rules of different jurisdictions and patent offices. You should also ask the vendor to share work samples and portfolios to showcase their expertise and delivery. One must evaluate if these sample patent drawings are error-free and adhere to the latest drafting criteria. Their past projects and feedback from their existing clients can shed light on this. Therefore, it is paramount to analyze this information through the website or personal interviews.

Sagacious IP has delivered more than 200,000 patent drawings and successfully completed ten years in this field. In addition, we are currently working with 300+ active clients, that include Fortune 500s, IAM1000 law firms, start-ups, investors, universities, and others.

4. Team Size

The number of illustrators assigned to a project depends on the difficulty level and the number of figures required. The turnaround time is another critical factor to consider here. Seek a patent drawing service provider with a sizeable team that can assign dedicated resources to the project and deliver quality drawings within the stipulated deadline. On an average, it takes 3-4 illustrators to complete a project within a timeframe. Moreover, an additional team member may be required to complete the project at the earliest.  

We employ more than 40 full-time illustrators, making it one of the largest illustration teams in India. Our team members work as per different time zones to seamlessly coordinate with clients in different geographies. Furthermore, we have offices in multiple locations to keep the working model intact.

5. Cost of Services

Undeniably, the cost of services is a significant factor in picking the right patent drawings vendor. Thus, besides the quality of drawings, one must also pay heed to the fee chargeable by the vendor. The patent drawings vendor should be able to share the first draft and iterations at a minimal cost. Your vendor should also help avoid delays and other perils. The patent drawing service provider must also have the manpower to make these corrections on an urgent basis. Do not forget to ask about the charges for these modifications during initial conversations.

Sagacious IP offers minor modifications at zero extra charges. However, if there are significant changes from the client’s end, we bill by the amount of work required. In addition, we offer unlimited revisions till the client is satisfied if they choose us to be their patent drawing partner.

Conclusion

Patent applications must include patent drawings to demonstrate the novelty and distinctiveness of the invention. Thus, flawless patent drawings can boost the likelihood of a fast grant. While several organizations prepare patent drawings themselves, it is wise to avail the services of a reliable third-party specializing in the field. It lessens the probability of an office action by the patent office examiner.

Sagacious IP patent drawing/illustration services can help applicants include clear and legible patent drawings that enhance the chances of a successful patent grant. Our patent illustrators have a great deal of experience producing patent drawings while taking the respective PTO patent drawing guidelines into consideration. Visit our patent drawings/illustrations service page to know more.

– Ankur Sharma, Himanshu Panwar, Rupesh Vajpayee, Vinod Kumar Yadav (Illustration) and the Editorial Team 

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