What Bold Patents does

Bold Patents is a privately held U.S. intellectual property law firm, organized as Bold IP, PLLC in Washington state, that provides patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and trade secret legal services to individual inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, and small businesses nationwide. Founded by J.D. Houvener — a former Boeing engineer turned USPTO-registered patent attorney — the firm is positioned as an inventor-empowerment alternative to traditional IP law firms, emphasizing transparent fees, educational content, and responsiveness. Its distributed team of 13+ attorneys and staff serves clients across 11+ U.S. cities through a virtual delivery model anchored at its Mountlake Terrace, WA headquarters.

The firm's core products span the full patent lifecycle: patentability searches and opinions, provisional, non-provisional (utility), and design patent applications, USPTO prosecution and office action responses, patent infringement opinions, and patent litigation support (with referrals to outside litigation counsel). Trademark services include search, filing, word and logo mark registration, and Amazon Brand Registry support. Differentiated offerings include the Patent Success Matrix (a proprietary framework scoring inventions on both patentability and marketability), the BOLD Licensing™ Program for downstream patent monetization, invention harvesting workshops, landscape analysis, and SBIR/STTR grant assistance. Cumulative disclosed outputs include 450+ patents issued and 500+ registered trademarks.

Bold Patents operates a professional services, quote-based revenue model with free 30-minute discovery calls as the primary intake; the firm does not publish pricing tiers. Its go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led (direct phone and website consultation) supported by community-led content marketing (Bold Blog, The Bold Inventor Show podcast, YouTube, social channels, white papers) and structured attorney and non-attorney referral programs. The firm markets across 25+ industry verticals including AI, blockchain, medical devices, aerospace, robotics, and cleantech, with lifetime outputs of 450+ patents and 500+ trademarks serving as its primary public scale signals.

Name

Bold Patents

Legal name

Bold IP, PLLC

Website

https://boldip.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bold Patents is a U.S. intellectual property law firm providing patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and patent licensing services to individual inventors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses nationwide through a distributed team of patent attorneys.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF), Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB), IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), Copyright Services & Content Protection (BPAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Patent prosecution services
• Trademark registration services
• Intellectual property law
• Patent search opinions
• Patent litigation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountlake Terrace

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Patent Prosecution Services: Legal services for patent applications including provisional applications, non-provisional (utility) applications, design patents, and international filings. Revenue is generated through professional service fees.
2. Trademark Registration Services: Trademark search, filing, and registration services for protecting brand assets.
3. Patent Search and Opinion Services: Comprehensive patentability searches and legal opinions to assess novelty and viability of inventions before filing.
4. Patent Brokering and Licensing: Services to help inventors monetize patents through licensing and brokering arrangements with third parties.
5. Additional IP Services: Copyright services, trade secret protection, DMCA protection, and fair use opinions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Bold Patents is a full-service U.S. intellectual property law firm that prosecutes patent applications (utility, design, provisional, plant), conducts patentability searches and legal opinions, registers trademarks and logos, enforces patents against infringers, and provides copyright and trade secret protection. The firm serves individual inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, and small businesses across 25+ technology domains, with the BOLD Licensing™ Program supporting post-grant monetization through brokering and licensing arrangements. Attorney-led representation is delivered nationwide through a virtual service model, anchored by transparent billing and the proprietary Patent Success Matrix framework.

Product overview

Bold Patents is a full-service intellectual property law firm offering a comprehensive suite of patent and trademark legal services. The core offering centers on patent attorney representation for utility, design, and plant patents, including patent search, drafting, prosecution, and litigation support. Trademark services cover registration, search, and enforcement. Additional specialized services include copyright protection, trade secrets, patent brokering, and the BOLD Licensing Program for monetization. The firm also provides strategic advisory services including the Patent Success Matrix framework, invention harvesting workshops, landscape analysis, and portfolio management. Bold Patents serves individual inventors and entrepreneurs across diverse industries including AI, blockchain, medical devices, and consumer products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Attorney Services Full-service patent legal representation including patent search, drafting, prosecution, and litigation support for utility, design, and plant patents.
• Trademark Attorney Services Trademark registration and enforcement services including trademark search, filing, logo and word-mark registration, and Amazon Brand Registry support.
• Patent Litigation Federal court litigation services for patent infringement disputes, including claim charts, validity opinions, and infringement actions (in-house and via referral partners).
• Patent Prosecution Shepherding patent applications through the USPTO, including responding to office actions and conducting examiner interviews.
• Copyright Services Copyright registration and infringement legal services for creative works, including fair use opinions and DMCA takedown/enforcement.
• Trade Secrets Protection Trade secret protection strategy and enforcement under state and federal law.
• BOLD Licensing™ Program Patent monetization program connecting inventors with licensing opportunities through brokering and licensing facilitation, delivered alongside patent licensing referral partners.
• Patent Success Matrix Proprietary framework that evaluates both patentability and marketability of inventions to help clients understand commercial viability before investing in a filing.
• Patent Brokering Facilitation of patent licensing and sale transactions connecting patent owners with potential licensees or buyers.
• Virtual Patent Support Remote patent attorney support services for inventors and entrepreneurs nationwide, enabling virtual representation across the U.S.
• Invention Harvesting On-site workshops with R&D teams to identify patentable innovations and technology gaps.
• Portfolio Analysis Strategic review of patent portfolios to optimize maintenance, prosecution, and monetization decisions.
• International Patent Filings Foreign patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and direct national filings in multiple jurisdictions.
• SBIR/STTR Grants Assistance Assistance with Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) federal grant applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 450+ patents issued to date
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)coreOthersFormal working relationship with the USPTO for all patent and trademark filing, prosecution, and examination services. All client applications are filed with and examined by the USPTO.
• Lisi Global, Inc.notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCase study client featured in Patent Success Matrix documentation. Lisi Global developed Direct Energy System technology for killing nematodes, secured patent protection, and raised approximately $1 million in investor funding with Bold Patents' assistance.
• Patent Licensing Referral PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal partners who assist with patent monetization, licensing negotiations, and connecting inventors with potential licensees once patent protection is secured.
• Patent Litigation Referral PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal law firms and attorneys to whom Bold Patents refers clients for patent litigation services when infringement issues require federal court action.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fish & Richardson: One of the largest IP-focused law firms in the US, with full-service patent prosecution, litigation, and post-grant practices. Overlaps with Bold Patents' core patent services but serves a much larger enterprise client base.
• Knobbe Martens: Top-tier IP firm with strong patent prosecution and litigation bench, especially in medical device, biotech, and consumer products — verticals where Bold Patents also has practice areas.
• Finnegan: Large global IP firm with deep patent prosecution and litigation practices. Comparable IP-law service set but competing primarily in enterprise and complex patent matters rather than the SMB inventor segment.
• Foley & Lardner: Full-service law firm with a sizable IP practice covering patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Competes for SMB and mid-market IP work where the offering overlaps with Bold Patents' full-service IP stack.

Direct peers

• BlueIron IP: Boutique patent firm offering prosecution and IP strategy services to inventors and small businesses. Highly comparable in client focus (individual inventors, SMBs) and service scope.
• Harrity & Harrity: Mid-sized patent prosecution boutique with a distributed attorney model and a focus on serving inventors and tech companies. Highly comparable to Bold Patents in client mix (SMB inventors, entrepreneurs) and prosecution-heavy service mix.
• Wolf Greenfield: Boston-based IP boutique specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and strategic IP counseling. Comparable in technical depth and inventor/sme client orientation.
• Oblon: Virginia-based IP boutique with prosecution, litigation, and post-grant practice. Comparable as a dedicated patent firm serving mid-market tech clients with technical specialization.
• Sterne Kessler: Washington DC patent boutique focused on patent prosecution, litigation support, and post-grant proceedings. Comparable in its prosecution-centric, technically-deep offering for inventors and tech-focused clients.

Emerging players

• LegalZoom: Online legal services platform that offers trademark and patent filing services. Competes with Bold Patents in commoditized filings, particularly for SMBs and individual inventors, with a technology-led, low-cost model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bold_IP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBQzvW6rh3Vv1YvEA9b9_uA
• Facebookfacebook.com/boldpatents
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bold-ip
• Instagraminstagram.com/boldpatents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bold Patents