InventionIP

Introduction to Provisional Patent Drafting When inventors develop a new idea or product, securing protection quickly is crucial. A provisional patent application is the most practical way to establish an early filing date without the complexity and cost of a non-provisional patent . It offers a 12-month period to refine, test, and evaluate your invention before filing a full patent. Unlike non-provisional applications, provisional applications do not require formal claims or an oath. However, they must provide a detailed description that allows a skilled professional to understand and reproduce the invention. A well-drafted provisional application ensures comprehensive coverage of your concept. Missing critical details or unclear drawings can weaken your patent rights later. Therefore, professional drafting is not just helpful—it’s essential for long-term protection. In the USA and Canada, many inventors use provisional filings to mark their invention as “ Patent Pending .” This stat...

As soon as an inventor has a new idea, the question at the forefront of everyone's mind is whether it can be patented.  A patentability search exists to provide an answer to that question by screening whether an invention is novel and non-obvious relative to what currently exists.  The process entails searching prior patents, applications, and technical publications to decide if filing a patent application is the worth pursuing. A good patentability search will save inventors time, money, and effort.  It can also make a patent application stronger by identifying what exactly is novel about an invention.  In this article, we will discuss the process of conducting a patentability search, include examples, mention typical pitfalls, and cover frequently asked questions. What Is a Patentability Search? A patentability search is an organized probe into published patents, pending patents, and non-patent literature to find out whether an invention is novel.  Patent of...