Provisional Patent Application

A provisional patent application is a legal document submitted by the applicant to the United States and Trademark Office (USPTO).

A provisional patent application does not mean it can grant you all the rights you need. It is just a temporary request that helps an inventor secure a new invention from being copied by others for 12 months before a formal patent application is filed. 

The provisional patent application does not mature into an issued patent unless the inventor files for a non-provisional patent application.

BENEFITS OF PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION

Starting with a provisional patent application is also a good move to start with because it does not necessarily need formal requirements. 

Now let us look at the benefits of filing for a provisional patent application.

IT IS LESS EXPENSIVE

When planning to disclose an invention, it is very rare to earn big profits from the start. Going for a provisional patent application likely costs less than the formal patent. Hence this will give you enough time to focus on the entire details and cost budget whilst getting ready for Non- provisional patent filing.

Saving money to build a good foundation for your invention is a good idea. 

IT IS AN EFFICIENT IMPERMANENT SOLUTION

The second benefit is that it is an effective way to protect an invention during the first months of the whole process. As you are preparing for filing for a  non-provisional application you can boost up a lot of ideas on your invention and file all of them only in one document.

For example, you can begin with inventing just the bulb of a normal shape, but as time goes by you can edit it to other shapes and designs depending on the ideas you have at that particular time.  When it’s time to go for non-provisional patent filing, you will realize you have made a big improvement and on your product.  

IT ADDS AN EXTRA YEAR TO AN INVENTION.

This simply means that it adds another year to the protection of an invention. Generally, a patent’s term is 20 years and if you apply for a provisional patent, it means you have 21 years after the non-provisional patent filing is granted.

By filing for this, you have extended one year and save your invention from threats. 

IT  HELPS THE PROMOTION OF AN INVENTION.

Provisional patent filing enables a rapid commercial promotion of the invention. The inventor can start promoting the business at an early stage by looking for business partners and licensees who will invest capital in the development of the invention.

A provisional patent application can be valuable especially to small inventors because it enables them to have un- disclosed agreements to prevent their invention from being stolen by someone else.

WHY FILING FOR A PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION? 

One of the reasons for filing for a provisional patent application is to enquire about the first-to-file requirements of intellectual property rights.

This application lasts for 12 months and within that period, you can work on improving your invention by focussing on the subject matter. 

A provisional patent application is regarded as a pending patent, with this the inventor brings in more interests to funding partners for business growth.

If you need any guidance/ help on filing a patent application, then let Wissen Research help you. We are well established IP firm helping our clients at affordable prices. Visit our website https://www.wissenresesarch.com to know more about our services.