Inventions can be very promising
not just in offering solutions to the situations they have been developed for
but also in making money for the inventor when they are a hit in the market.
The worst thing about coming up with a new invention is that it is prone to
getting copied by others.
Apart from copying your invention
for their own benefits, they could also end up making substantial improvements
and changes to your original invention to come up with a better product. This
can easily drain you out of business, especially if you had made the invention
with the sole purpose of making money out of it.
Fortunately, you are allowed by patent
law to protect your original inventions through patents. They give
you exclusive rights to the product, production process or design that you have
come up with for a given period of time. This makes impossible for others to
use your formula for the same kind of product. There are different kinds of
patent applications and provisional patents are some of them options that you
will find today.
Provisional patents
The Patent Office and United
States Trademark allowed the first filing of provisional application back in
1995. There is a huge difference between a provisional patent application and
non-provisional patent. The major difference is that the provisional does not
require the formalities that are required in the non-provisional patent. Under
the provisional application, you are allowed to put a “patent pending” label on
the invention. This status saves your rightful spot in filing for a
non-provisional patent, meaning that you can hold that same spot for up to a
year once you have filed for the patent. It is a window opening that gives you
all the time that you require to make the decision whether you should move on
with the filing for a full non provisional patent.
The other difference between a
provisional patent and a non-provisional patent can be in the specific parts
that are patented. They can include trade secrets and they are not released
when you have applied for provisional protection.
Filing for a patent
The matters associated with
patenting an invention can seem very difficult and tedious, especially for
individuals who are not very sure about the process. Fortunately, even when you
know so little about patents and how to go about the filing process, you can
still find professional help. There are patent
attorneys who can help you with every detail to the last bit till
you have your desired patent in place. The attorneys can actually make the process
easy for you by offering filing assistance online. It breaks down the
geographical barriers that would have otherwise stood in your way to access the
much-needed help with your invention. A good patent attorney will also be in a
position to teach you a little about the patents and answer all your questions
so that you are comfortable with the process.
Provisional patent can be a great
help, especially if you are yet to decide which direction you wish for your new
invention to take. With a good patent attorney, the filing process should be an
easy ride for you.
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