§How we work
A fixed-fee patent search quote within one business day
Every engagement starts with a free 20–30-minute scoping call. We stake out the scope in writing, quote a fixed fee, and bill nothing beyond it without your written approval.
§ 01Context
Why we quote before we dig
A patent search quote from us is a scope document with a number at the bottom. Writing the scope down is where most of the thinking happens. What decision does the work support? Which features or claim elements matter? Which countries? How far back, and how deep into journals and theses? Who receives the report: you, or your patent attorney or agent? Once those answers are on paper, the fee follows from them, and it stops moving.
That is also why we publish no prices. Two searches with the same name can differ several times over in effort. A single-feature consumer product searched in US patents is one job. A multi-element chemical process searched across Asian families and conference literature is another. A price list would either overcharge the first or underquote the second, and an underquoted search is the one that quietly skips the hard part.
So the order never changes: scope, then quote, then work. The method explains what happens inside each search, and the full catalog of services shows typical turnarounds.
We stake the scope before we dig, so the fee doesn’t move unless you move it.
§ 02Sequence
From first call to final revision
The same sequence applies to searches, analytics, drawings, valuations, and licensing work. Brokerage adds one step, described below.
- Day 0
Free scoping call
20–30 minutes by phone or video. We ask what decision the work supports and what you already know. Keep confidential details out of this call until we have signed an NDA.
- Within one business day
Fixed-fee written quote
Scope, deliverables, turnaround, recipient, fee, and payment terms on one page. If you want changes, we revise it. Nothing is billed beyond the quote without your written approval.
- Before disclosure
NDA
An NDA is available before any technical disclosure. Your counsel may prefer to send their own form.
- Kickoff
Kickoff with your lead analyst
The lead analyst confirms the elements, date cut-offs, and recipient, and collects files through secure transfer to our US-based, encrypted systems.
- Delivery
Report, references, and audit trail
A PDF report, a spreadsheet of references with links, the audit trail, and, where relevant, a Hoard workspace. Drawings arrive as USPTO-format PDF, with source files on request.
- After delivery
Review call
We walk you, or your attorney or agent, through what we found and how. We explain what the record says technically. What it means legally is for your practitioner.
- Revisions
Revisions and extensions
Drawings include two revision rounds. If we made a factual error in a report, we correct it within the original quote. If you want more scope, such as another country or claim set, we quote the extension first.
- Close
Files and deletion
Your deliverables are yours. On request, we delete client files within 30 days of project close.
§ 03Brokerage and inventors
Extra steps for transactions and individual inventors
When money may change hands, or when the client is an individual inventor, we put more in writing, earlier.
Success-fee terms first
For brokerage engagements, success-fee terms are written down and agreed before any marketing begins. You know how we are paid before anyone hears about your patent.
12Written disclosures for inventors
Individual inventors receive written disclosures before any engagement, consistent with 35 U.S.C. § 297, along with a plain statement of what the work can and cannot do.
14Your counsel handles the paper
We coordinate transactions, but your counsel drafts and negotiates every agreement. If you don’t have counsel, we can share a list of independent practitioners. We receive no referral fees.
§ 04Payment
Payment terms, in general
Payment terms are written into every quote, so you see them before you agree to anything. In general:
- Smaller fixed-fee work, such as snapshots, searches, and drawing sets, is invoiced on the terms stated in the quote.
- Larger projects, such as landscapes, valuations, and multi-month monitoring, are split into milestones. Each milestone is tied to a deliverable you can see before the next invoice.
- Hoard subscriptions are quoted per scope, either included with a relevant engagement or as a standalone subscription.
- Brokerage success fees are paid only on the terms set out in writing before marketing begins.
Rush timing is available on searches and drawings when scope allows, and it is quoted separately, never added after the fact. If something outside the scope comes up mid-project, we stop, explain it, and ask. You decide whether it is worth a written change.
§ 05Confidentiality
Confidential by default
NDA before disclosure
We sign an NDA before you share technical details. Until then, the scoping call needs only what you would say in public.
US-based, encrypted
Client files are handled in US-based systems and encrypted in transit and at rest.
Never used to train AI
Client materials are never used to train AI models. Every audit trail names the AI tools that touched your search.
Deleted on request
We delete client files on request within 30 days of project close.
§ 06Questions
Questions about quotes and process
Something else on your mind? Call (505) 357-5188 or write to info@metadragons.com.
Is the scoping call really free?
Yes. It takes 20–30 minutes and there is no obligation. Its purpose is to work out what you need, which is sometimes less than you expected, or nothing at all.
What if the scope changes in the middle of a project?
We pause and tell you what changed and why. If you want the extra work, we quote it in writing first. Nothing is billed beyond the original quote without your written approval.
Can you work directly with my patent attorney or agent?
Yes. Many reports go straight to the client’s practitioner, and we can run the review call with them. We never contact a practitioner’s client without permission when the practitioner engages us.
Do you offer rush timing?
On searches and drawings, when scope allows. Rush timing is quoted separately, so you can decide whether the speed is worth it.
What if your search finds nothing close?
You still receive the report and audit trail, showing exactly where we looked and how. A documented absence of close references is a finding, but its legal meaning is for your patent attorney or agent to judge.
Keep reading
Related pages
§Next step
Get your quote moving
Book a free 20–30-minute scoping call. You’ll have a fixed-fee written quote within one business day.