<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nUnlike provisional applications, which are not review by the examiner, non-provisional applications are regular patent applications and are reviewed by the examiner\/patent office. An applicant must submit the non-provisional application within 12 months of filing the provisional one to secure the patent rights for the invention. Unlike a provisional patent application, a non-provisional patent application is lengthy and complicated to file and prosecute. It has many parts with numerous rules that the patent drafter must follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A non-provisional patent application must include a comprehensive patent specification wherein the applicant discloses all details of the invention clearly and comprehensively. Moreover, if the inventor is confident about the invention, he\/she may file the non-provisional patent application directly, thereby avoiding all the costs related to a provisional patent application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, a non-provisional patent application is a \u201cregular\u201d utility patent application. It is the typical application one files to get the patent office to review the utility and grant a patent. At the same time, a provisional patent application does not get reviewed. It is a quick and inexpensive way for inventors to establish a US filing date for their invention, which one can claim in a later-filed non-provisional application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The IP regulatory body in the US, the USPTO has established several guidelines for filing a complete patent application. These rules can help further your understanding of provisional vs. non provisional patent applications. Let us dive into these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>USPTO-Issued Guidelines on Non-Provisional Patent Application<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- An inventor should file a non-provisional patent application in the English language or accompany the original application with a translation, a statement confirming the translation\u2019s accuracy, and payment of the fee outlined in 37 CFR \u00a7 1.17(i). In case an applicant files a patent application in a different language without translation, statement, or fee, the patent office issues a notice, informing the applicant of the time available to submit the missing detail(s).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
One can create the specifications using a word processing program like Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. The document consisting of the specifications can be converted into PDF format by the word processing program and included as an attachment during the application filing via USPTO\u2019s EFS (Electronic Filing System)-Web, which accepts electronic documents in PDF format. Other application documents, such as a hand-signed declaration and drawings, can be scanned as a PDF for filing via EFS-Web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Specifications for PDF format for filing via EFS-Web:\n