Provisional Definition:
Since a complete description with sketches and the following forms are all that is
required for a provisional filing, you may feel that your invention record is
suitable for filing as your own provisional application. If you would like an
independent review, Focus On Patents, Inc., will be pleased to review your record
and make suggestions at our hourly fee. Focus On Patents, Inc., should be able to
complete any review and make necessary suggestions in a couple of hours and will
issue a letter with those suggestions. There are some forms, PTO/SB/16 and PTO/SB/17,
available at you will need to identify the application as a provisional and establish
you as an independent inventor allowing you to file for the above fee. We would also
recommend that you send a "certificate of mailing" PTO/SB/92 as insurance that you
did mail the provisional application. Keep a copy of everything you prepare in a
safe place. The provisional application allows inventors to finish development,
test, test market and finalize all aspects of their invention while enjoying one
year of "patent pending" status. Before the end of that year, the inventor must
file a full utility patent or lose the priority date established. If you have
already made your invention public, you must file the utility application before
the end of one year after the first public disclosure, that is, the first offer
for sale, or the first sale, or the first publication in media form, or the first
showing at a trade show, flea market, etc.
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