Provisional Patent Application
A provisional application is not evaluated by USPTO. A provisional application gives VCOM a year from the date of initial filing to evaluate the commercial interest in the technology and possibly market the invention. During this time, the ORI will work with the patent attorney to continue assessing the invention’s patentability, marketability, and commercialization potential.
It is expected that the inventors will continue to advance the invention in preparation for a patent application filing and to cooperate in commercializing the invention. If there is no further technical development or no potential licensees or commercial interest, it may be difficult to justify further investment in patenting the invention.
Non-Provisional Patent
If the decision is made to move forward in the process, ORI will coordinate a meeting with the patent attorney and inventors to discuss any updates from the inventor and the strategy for patent submission. This discussion will take place several months before the one-year deadline to ensure a robust application is filed.
A US utility patent application is one that offers protection only in the United States and is the application type most filed by VCOM. In some instances, an international application (PCT) may be filed, which preserves the right for an applicant to file in more than 150 countries. If the invention is a medical device, a US Design patent application may also be filed along with the Utility application. These patents protect the “ornamental design of a functional item” but do not protect the structure or utilitarian features (what the Utility protects).