Even though the patent attorney should be the individual to write a provisional patent application that should be patented, it still would be great if every inventor would try writing their own provisional patent application. Why do I think this? Because if the inventor commits his/her thoughts to paper, it will help clarify their thoughts about the invention. Creating the drawings and protype yourself, as the inventor, will help you determine what is working well and what is not. It will also help you, as the inventor, incorporate all of the discoveries into a final version.
What are some of the steps to make your provisional patent application successful?
First, study the market. You could start doing this by using Google Images and Google Patents.
Unlike non-provisional patent applications, there are no specific requirements or guidelines for what has to be included in a provisional patent application. Think about that. What is your invention? Is it a simple consumer product or a game-changing innovation? This has to be taken into account. If it is the former, you could generate income without even having to file a non-provisional application but if it is the latter, you will need more patents to keep the one written before or maybe even before that going.
Second, include numerous professional drawings. “The single most effective way to expand any disclosure is by including high-quality drawings,” says patent attorney and IPWatchdog.com founder Gene Quinn. If you show something in the drawings that you forgot to describe in your provisional patent application, you can still include it in your non-provisional patent. If you don’t include something in your provisional patent application, it can’t be added later but you could always file another provisional patent application, but that will change your priority date.
Third, educate yourself. You shouldn’t educate yourself only about patents and provisional patent applications but educate yourself about trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.
You should take the following questions into account when drafting or writing or provisional patent application. What are the parts of your invention and how do they connect? How does the invention operate? Is there another or better way to construct your invention? Can your invention be used in more than one way?
In summary, it is very important to know your invention inside and out. At start, you can do a lot of the work yourself. Always get an attorney to help you to make sure the steps are done correctly.
