Jose R. Mata, Patent Attorney

Jose R. Mata
Admitted in Washington, Oregon,
California, and registered with the
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

My goal is to provide high quality patent law services for reasonable, affordable, flat rates.  I am focusing my legal practice on preparing patent applications, prosecuting patent applications and providing other patent law services,  I enjoy working with inventors and doing high quality work for a reasonable fee. 

I work in a number of technology areas including computer hardware and software, electrical circuits, telecommunications, and mechanical inventions.  I am not an expert in all these areas.  But I enjoy learning about new technologies and feel confident about my ability to prepare applications in a wide variety of subject matter areas.
 
In most cases, I provide my services for a flat fee that is negotiated up front.  I like doing work for a flat fee because it makes both your expenses and my income more predictable.  However, if you prefer paying by the hour, I can provide my services by the hour as well.

Once preliminary matters are addressed, the first step in deciding whether to file a patent application is for me to conduct a detailed interview, called an inventor interview.  This is also the first step in preparing a patent application, if you decide to go forward.  In this interview, my top priority is taking the time to answer all your questions so that you have all the information you need to decide whether to move forward with a patent application.  Equally important is to take as much time as necessary to understand your invention and what the most important novel feature is.  If this takes one hour, that is fine.  If it takes several hours, that is fine too.  But doing a quality job for you, the inventor, means I have to be prepared to not rush through things, but instead to take as much time with you as is needed.  By taking my time, I can also see if there are any issues that need to be discussed prior to preparing and filing a patent application.

Because it is hard to predict how long an inventor interview will take, I prefer to provide the initial consultation, which can include a full inventor interview, for a flat fee.  That way, as I am talking to you and asking you questions about your invention, neither of us is nervously watching the clock.  We are focused on what is important, your invention.  Therefore, in this initial consultation, you can ask as many questions as you like.  The initial consultation also allows me to ask you questions to see if it really makes sense for you to file a patent application or whether there are other options for you. 

One area that almost always needs to be explored are the date of the invention, whether the invention has been disclosed to others and under what circumstances, and whether you are in the process of selling the product or service that you want patented.  There are quite a few other issues that also need to be discussed.

One word of caution is that you should not tell me anything confidential about your invention until I have had a chance to get some basic information from you to see if I have any conflicts of interest that would prevent me from taking your case.  If I do have a conflict of interest, I cannot take your case and also cannot promise to keep anything you tell me confidential.  In fact, I may be required to reveal what you tell me to a current client.  So please wait until I can check for a conflict of interest before telling me anything confidential.

Also, I do not perform any work, except for the initial consultation, without a written, signed fee agreement stating what work I will do for you and for how much.    

My goal is to provide you with high quality services at a reasonable price.  I look forward to hearing from you.