What is a provisional patent application?

A provisional patent application is a form of patent application that is used to protect an invention before filing a full patent application. It is a short document that is filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In Nevada, a provisional patent application does not require a patent claim, a detailed description of the invention, or formal drawings. Rather, it is a simple document that is used to provide a filing date for the invention. Once a provisional patent application is filed, the inventor has one year to submit a full patent application in order to secure the original filing date. During this one-year period, the inventor can use the words “patent pending” to describe the invention. This serves to inform the public that the inventor is in the process of trying to secure patent protection. In Nevada, filing a provisional patent application is often the first step for inventors to protect their work. This may be an especially attractive option when the inventor needs to protect their work, but may not yet have the resources necessary to do a full patent filing. It can also be a great way for an inventor to save money, since the fees associated with provisional patent applications are usually less expensive than submitting a full patent application.

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What is a provisional patent application?

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