When is a Provisional patent application the right choice?
I have counseled many developers in various fields over the years, including gaming, and find that Provisional patent applications tend to make sense in at least five specific circumstances. Outside of these five circumstances, it may be smarter (and less expensive overall) to enter the patent process through the Regular patent application portal. The five circumstances that tend to favor the Provisional patent application are: 1. The innovation is in an early stage of development. Sometimes, when an innovation is in an embryonic stage, time is needed to consider alternatives, conduct research and test prototypes. Filing a Provisional patent application early on makes sense in these circumstances, because the invention can be improved for up to 12 months under a protective cloak of “patent pending.?” At any time before the final stroke of midnight on the one-year anniversary, the Provisional patent application can be converted into a Regular patent application and/or an International p
