What is the cost of obtaining a U. S. patent?

The full cost of obtaining and maintaining a U.S. patent over 20 years is in the range of $20,000 to $60,000. This sum is influenced by the type of technology being patented; the number of claims and drawings included in the application; the number and nature of rejections from USPTO; filing fees, etc. Of course, the cost of global protection (for the same technology) will be a multiple of the U.S. sum.