Want to patent your invention? Better hurry!

First TelephoneHave you come up with the next big invention?  If you plan on protecting it don’t wait or you could end up like Elisha Gray! On February 14, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent on an apparatus that could transmit speech electrically, beating out his rival, Elisha Gray, by just two hours. Never mind that Gray’s design worked better. Timing was all that mattered. When Gray later filed a lawsuit, the courts awarded the patent to Bell, who went down in history as the official inventor of the telephone!  If you have the next big idea, don’t wait for someone else to cash in first. The United States Patent and Trademark Office offers a low-cost solution called a Provisional Patent Application, or PPA.

 

What is a Provisional Patent Application?

A Provisional Patent Application secures an immediate priority filing date for your invention. In other words, it allows you to go on record as the first person to officially lay claim to your invention. Securing a priority filing date is critical because as far as the government is concerned, it’s not who came up with the idea first that matters; it’s who secured the rights.  A PPA typically allows for you to use “Patent Pending” on your product, but it does not allow the same protection as a Non-Provisional Patent for going after offenders of your patent.

Why file a Provisional Patent Application?

Other than establishing a first date of the idea, there are other strategic reasons to file a Provisional Patent Application.

  • Design and utility patent applications take time and money to develop an airtight case for your invention.
  • A provisional patent app gives you extra time to absorb these costs slowly. And save up enough money or find investors to pay for filing and having your application examined.
  • A provisional patent app allows you more time to fully develop and design your idea more completely.
  • A provisional patent app gives you more time to research the market potential of the idea and look for licensing partners before you invest in a Non-Provisional Patent Application.

What is the Next Step after a Provisional Patent Application

After filing a PPA, you have one year of protection.  Don’t wait! The next step is to get an attorney, market researcher and design team together to work on possibly pursuing a Non-Provisional patent (more on this in a later Blog).  In this day and age, extensions are commonplace, so a common question is “can you extend a Provisional Patent Application”? The answer is “NO”.  However, you can file a new PPA with the existing or new revisions to your ideas!

More on Elisha

Even though Elisha Gray missed out on arguably the biggest invention of the 19th century, he was a prolific inventor and businessman.  In 1887 he invented the telautograph, which was a primitive fax machine that used telegraph wires to transmit handwriting. Elisha went on to patent 70 ideas and was a founder of Western Electric, so never give up on developing your ideas!

How can we Help you?

Now that you have a better understanding of provisional patent applications, it is easier to see why you should consider filing a provisional patent application. New Product Consulting can help you by providing an affordable team of product designers, market researchers and patent attorneys (from our referral base) to do this. New Product Consulting is a leading invention help company that has assisted thousands of inventors in this process.

For more invention help and a Free Consultation please contact us https://newproductconsulting.com/contact-us/ at New Product Consulting!