Call for a Patent Attorney! 1-832-621-0353

Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 1

Directional Road Sign with words What, Who, How, Where, When, and Why

Provisional Patent Application: Warning! Over 97% Of Patents Are Worthless. But The Right One Can Be Worth Millions Of Dollars Per Year. Read This Before You File.

An invention is just an idea. An invention that gives you a market advantage is an idea that is worth protecting. The right patent can turn your invention into your most valuable asset by granting you a multi-year monopoly over your market advantage. That’s an advantage that you can build a business on.

But most patents are worthless.

If you want to make money with a patent, you are going to have to read, think, and find the right patent attorney for you.

Provisional Patent Applications: A Tech Startup’s Best Friend and Worst Enemy

Who Can File A Provisional Patent Application?

  • One or more inventors or assignees (owners) can file a provisional patent application OR they can hire a patent attorney to file it for them.

The purpose of a provisional patent application is to secure a priority date for a non-provisional patent application, such as a U.S. utility patent application or a PCT application. The only ones who can file a non-provisional patent application for an invention are people who contributed to the conception of the invention as claimed (inventors) or those who an inventor assigned (sold) the rights to.

For reasons that I will explain later, provisional patent applications are usually filed by tech startups, entrepreneurs, and universities.

An inventor or assignee can file the provisional patent application themselves. Alternatively, an inventor or assignee can hire a U.S. patent attorney or U.S. patent agent to draft and file the provisional patent application for them.

Provisional Patent Applications
1. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 1
2. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 2
3. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 3
4. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 4
5. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 5
6. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 6
7. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 7
8. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 8
9. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 9
10. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 10
11. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 11
12. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 12
13. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 13
14. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 14
15. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 15
16. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 16
17. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 17
18. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 18
19. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 19
20. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 20
21. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 21
22. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 22
23. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 23
24. Provisional Patent Applications: What You Need To Know, Part 24
Back To Top
Search