Professor Demchick's Blackboard

Dr. Demchick has been a college and university faculty member for many years. On these Blackboard Pages he does a little teaching. These pages are intended as general, introductory information. Compromises were made between including details in these pages and keeping the pages readable for a general audience. These pages are not intended as legal or other professional advice.

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NON-PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATIONS

Non-provisional patent applications are "regular" patent applications.

Before provisional patent applications existed, non-provisional patent applications were just called "patent applications."

An inventor can file a non-provisional patent application without first filing a provisional patent application. Alternatively, an inventor can file a provisional patent application first, and then file a non-provisional patent application "claiming the benefit of" the provisional patent application filing.

Unlike a provisional patent application, a non-provisional patent application is examined by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to determine whether a patent should be issued. The prosecution of a patent application almost always takes at least a year.

To discuss your specific patent protection needs, please feel free to contact Dr. Demchick.