IP Intelligence › Myths › Filing it myself is basically the same and much cheaper.
Patent myth
“Filing it myself is basically the same and much cheaper.”
Filing is easy. Drafting is not. The document you file determines what you can claim, what you can amend to, and what the patent is eventually worth.
The parts that decide outcomes - claim 1, the fallback ladder, the alternatives, the technical effect, the evidence - are invisible to someone who has not seen an application fail for their absence. And they cannot be added afterwards. Self-filed applications commonly proceed to grant with claims that describe a product and protect nothing.
The saving is real and the asset is usually worth less than it cost to keep alive.
Sources & further reading
- The Patents Act, 1970 (consolidated to 1 August 2024) — Official IP India text
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Educational guidance, not legal advice. This material is published by Ragulika IP for general education and information. It is not legal advice, it does not create a professional-client relationship, and it is not a substitute for advice on your own facts. Patentability, infringement, prosecution strategy and every other IP outcome turn on the specific facts and on the law and Patent Office practice as they stand at the time you act. Please take professional advice before making a decision, and read the underlying provision or judgment before relying on any point stated here.
Last reviewed by Ragulika IP on 2026-08-23. Indian patent law and Patent Office practice change; check the position before you rely on it.