Provisional Patent
A provisional patent application is a temporary filing that allows inventors to secure a filing date for their invention without all the formalities of a full patent application. It provides an early claim to the invention, giving the inventor 12 months to file a non-provisional patent application. During this time, inventors can refine their invention, seek funding, or gauge market interest. The provisional patent is not examined and doesn’t result in a granted patent, but it enables the use of the term “patent pending” for marketing purposes. It is a cost-effective first step to protect your invention while working on a more detailed patent application.