Yeah, $1000 is the cost for "relatively simple" type of invention. It goes high as $3000 for software related or complex patents. But a more important question is: How will institutions regulate 3d printing in general? Because there are some serious intellectual property issues. I found an interesting article that covers these things, but what do you think? From a legal point of view, DIY 3d printing seems too good to be true. You can't just take some design or copyrighted material and print it yourself - even for your own use, can you?