haha brilliant...How much is a patent?
Stark,
The answer is...it depends. Sometimes you get lucky and the US Patent office doesn't give you a hard time. So that means you'll have spent anywhere from about $2k-$7K in the process.
Other times it goes back and forth for several years and the bills add up. I spent $30K on a tech patent that was granted a few years ago. But if it ends up being a product you sell, then the cost is worth it.
I would say that for most products, you are better off just making something and selling the piss out of it. The Asian companies will usually copy you anyways ( I have had that happen already).So why screw with a patent and the expense.
Patents pretty much just give you the right to sue. So you usually have to have deep pockets in the first place, or a lawyer who gets a cut of any settlement.