What Are the Different Types of Patent Applications?
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides patent applications for utility, design and plant inventions. It classifies applications for utility and plant inventions into provisional and non-provisional applications. It does not use provisional and non-provisional applications for design inventions. International patent applications are also available. Patents protect inventors by prohibiting others from making, selling, importing or using a particular invention for a specified period. Patent applications for designs cover unique drawings of a specific pattern or shape used for ornamental purposes. Designs are primarily decorative, not functional. A design could also be the actual object, such as the Statue of Liberty. Usually, the inventor of a design licenses his design to people or companies for placement on art, jewelry and other objects.
