How to Patent a Provisional Patent Application

By: Michael J Foycik Jr.
Oct.02
The author is a patent attorney with over 28 years experience in patents and trademarks. For further information, please email at IP1lwyr@gmail.com, or call at 877-654-3336.

A provisional patent application
Each “how to patent” subject is discussed in detail below. Here are ways to get a patent.

A slightly better title would be “How to Get a Provisional Patent Application.“ That would be more correct, as explained below. It is easy to get a provisional patent application, which gives “patent pending” status but cannot in itself be “patented.” Instead, a provisional patent application holds the date (as the date of filing), protects the owner against later copiers, and permits later filing of a utility (“regular”) patent application.

Why get a Provisional Patent Application? It is less costly, and has a lower government filing fee, as compared with a utility patent application. It takes less effort to prepare, and needs no formal drawings and no signed Declaration.

Anything can be the subject of a provisional patent application. It provides defensive protection against later imitators. And, it can be the basis of a later utility patent application. It’s very useful to get a provisional patent application!

So what's the catch? The catch is, the provisional patent application lasts for only one year, after which the idea belongs to the public unless a utility patent application has been filed during that year.

Read more >> http://internationalpatentservice.com/How-to-Patent-a-Provisional-Patent-Application.html