What is the difference between a Provisional Patent Application and a Non-provisional Patent Application (Regular Patent)?
A Provisional is merely a Patent Application that never becomes a Patent. A Non-provisional is a Patent Application that can eventually become a Patent. One way to think of this by analogy is: Non-provisional (Regular) A new car costs $25,000.00 complete. You buy it, you own it. Provisional Let’s say you bought a ‘provisional’ car without an engine for $22,500.00 (savings of 10%). (You can’t drive it, which is usually the reason you purchased it.) After a year, the dealer gets the car back and pays you nothing. Unless: Provisional “Converted into a Non-provisional” You have the dealer install an engine for $7,500.00 (30% additional). If you have the engine installed, you own the car, but it cost you more than buying it complete in the first place. (Now you can drive it.) For more information on intellectual property, please visit Patent, Trademark, Copyright Information. The content of this article is not intended to be, and does not constitute, legal advice and does not create attorne
