Applying for a Provisional Patent

There are times that you need to plant your flag, even before you obtain a patent. In some cases, the perception of ownership may be enough to frighten away competitors. One way to do this is through a provisional patent application (PPA).

A PPA gives you time to test the market. You may not know whether it is worth it to file a full-fledged patent application. With a PPA, you have the ability to mark your invention as “patent pending,” the same as you would if you applied for a normal patent.

How to Apply for a Provisional Patent

The process of applying for a PPA is much more streamlined. In fact, there are only three things that you need to do:

• Perform a patent search for inventions that are similar to yours
• Give a description of what your invention does and how to make it
• File an application with the USPTO

While the application process is more truncated, there still is some necessary work that would benefit from the assistance of an attorney. Namely, you must still perform the patent search, and it should be thorough. The patent examiner will reject your application if they find that it is not really novel.

In addition, your description must be detailed, leaving no doubt about how your invention works. They should include drawings as well as enough words to give a very clear picture of what you are trying to patent. In some cases, a PPA could take almost as much work as a full patent, although there are some definite benefits to proceeding provisionally first.

Orlando Patent Prosecution Attorneys

To find out which method of obtaining a patent works best for you, reach out to Daniel Law Offices, P.A. An experienced Orlando patent prosecution attorney will give you the advice you need to figure out the best course of action. You can contact us online or reach us at 866.377.2836.