Can you file a provisional patent by yourself?
The provisional patent form protects the idea for one year from the filing date. This is why hiring a patent lawyer to submit the provisional patent application is often recommended. While you can do it yourself, the research alone can become overwhelming and take up a lot of your time.
Should you file a provisional patent?
A provisional patent application can be used to establish an early filing date with USPTO and foreign patent offices. But under the right circumstances, provisional applications can be used as a strategic tool in developing a patent portfolio, and they’re often better than no patent application at all.
Why might you file a provisional patent application instead of filing a nonprovisional patent application?
As such, the primary reason that one might want to file a provisional patent application instead of a nonprovisional patent application is to delay long-term examination costs, not to reduce the immediate cost of preparing and filing the patent application.
What is required to file a provisional patent application?
A provisional patent application requires the names of all inventors, a cover sheet that identifies the invention, and the filing fee.
Can you sell a provisional patent?
The quick answer is yes, it is possible. But it rarely happens. Selling a provisional patent application is the same as selling just an idea without proven market demand. It would need to be an extremely innovative idea to convince buyers to take a chance and invest before it is patented.
How long is a provisional patent good for?
12 months
Length of validity. A provisional patent application only lasts 12 months and essentially acts as a placeholder. Moreover, you only have that 12-month window in which to convert your provisional patent application into a full non-provisional application.
What’s the difference between a provisional patent and a patent?
Unlike a utility patent, a provisional patent does not get reviewed by the USPTO, although it also is submitted there. This type of patent essentially holds a place for the invention until the inventor is ready to apply for a utility patent. The subsequent utility patent application must be filed within a year.
Where do I send my provisional patent application?
Mail via U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to: Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. You must use this address to receive the benefit of a certificate of mailing or Express Mail.