Provisional Patents

Provisional Patents are a powerful tool for protecting innovations while delaying patent costs.  A provisional patent application is usually less expensive to prepare and has only minimal filling fees, but gives the inventor a priority or filing date that can be used for subsequent US and international applications.  The provisional application is not examined and expires after one year.  However, it may be converted to a utility patent application within that year, and everything that is disclosed in the provisional application enjoys the provisional filing date in the utility application.  A provisional patent application allows inventors to quickly protect and idea, refine it, and then file a utility patent application that provides final protection.