Should I File a Provisional Patent Application?  Back to Client Resources
 

Resource Title: Should I File a Provisional Patent Application?
 

Purpose: This two-page PDF article helps entrepreneurs and startups answer the frequently asked question “Should I file a provisional patent application for my invention?” and provides guidance on how to do it effectively.
 

Link to PDF

 
Situation or Summary:
 
 

 

You have a prototype of your invention that works. You want patent protection, but you don’t have enough money to file for a full utility patent yet. Your next step is to start talking to potential customers, suppliers, and investors to sound out the market, develop your business plan, and hopefully get some money in the door. Is it worth filing a provisional patent application?

 
 
Comments:
 

Provisional patent applications strike many entrepreneurs and startups as a great idea—patent protection on the cheap that you don’t even need an attorney for. The reality is that provisional applications cost time, money, and patent term and should really only be used as a last resort.

Last Modified: January 31, 2010

 
 
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Resource Of The Month

Should I File a Provisional Patent Application?

 

The Situation:

You have a prototype of your invention that works. You want patent protection, but you don’t have enough money to file for a full utility patent yet. Your next step is to start talking to potential customers, suppliers, and investors to sound out the market, develop your business plan, and hopefully get some money in the door. Is it worth filing a provisional patent application?

 

This Client Resource is a 2 page PDF article to help entrepreneurs and startups consider whether filing a provisional patent application makes sense and how to do it effectively. To go directly to the PDF rather than the landing page, click here.