Introduction What is a Provisional Patent? Benefits of Provisional Patents What Can be Patented? Patent Searches Patent Priority Filing Requirements Turning Your Provisional Patent into a Full Patent

What is a provisional patent application? How long does a provisional patent last? Why should I file a provisional patent application? What is the difference between a provisional patent application and a full (non-provisional) application? How do I get a provisional patent? What if there are multiple inventors? What do I need to include in my provisional patent application? What are the description guidelines for a provisional patent application? What are the guidelines for a drawing to be included with a provisional patent application? What is a filing date? How long does a provisional patent last? How do I turn my provisional patent application into a patent? When should I file my provisional patent application ?

Provisional Patent Library

Introduction Great ideas happen every day. But the idea, invention, or process isn't always credited to the person who came up with it first. Sometimes, someone overhears an idea. Sometimes you're so excited, you'll tell anyone who will listen about it. And sometimes, believe it or not, someone else will come up with the same invention at just about the same time. A Provisional Patent Application establishes your priority with a "date of invention." In other words, it tells the world "This is my invention." The reason it's so important to file a Provisional Patent Application is because in Patent Law, it's often not the person who came up with the idea first who wins – it's the person who takes action and files the patent application first. The advantage of a provisional patent is that it's much faster and easier to file than a standard patent application. A standard patent application can take months to prepare, and it can cost $5,000 or more. With a provisional patent, you will have 12 months to file a full patent application, and you can legally announce to the world: "patent pending." Furthermore, you can tell people about the idea, seek funding to develop the invention, even begin selling the invention, with confidence that your invention is protected. This way, you can assess the invention's complete potential before spending significant sums of money on the full patent, not to mention money on marketing and distribution. StartupNation's Provisional Patent Law Library provides you with the resources you need to understand the functions and advantages of a provisional patent. If you decide to apply for a provisional patent, we offer a quick and easy way to file the application online in about 30 minutes. All you do is answer a few questions, and we take care of the rest. StartupNation can even help you prepare the technical illustrations to accompany your application.