1. Introduction to Provisional Applications for Patent
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 Application for Patent establishes your priority with a "date
of invention." In other words, it tells the world "This is my invention."
It's so important to file a Provisional Application for Patent because in Patent
Law, the person who comes up with an idea first may not benefit. It's the person
who takes action and files the patent application first who wins the credit.
The advantage of a provisional application 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 application,
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 for development, even
begin selling the invention with the confidence your invention is protected. This
gives you time to assess the invention's complete potential. Then, you can decide
if you want to spend the money on the full patent process, not to mention marketing
and distribution.
LegalZoom's Provisional Application for Patent education center 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 application for patent, you can
complete our online application in about 30 minutes. Simply answer a few questions,
and we take care of the rest. LegalZoom can even help you prepare the technical
drawings to accompany your application.
