Under United States patent law, a provisional application is a legal document filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that allows an inventor to establish an early filing date, but which does not mature into an issued…

In general, a utility patent protects the way an invention is used and works. Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new and useful method, process, machine, device, manufactured item, or chemical compound – or any new…

A US design patent covers the ornamental design for an object. Generally speaking, a design patent is governed by the same rules as a utility patent. One of the biggest differences is that the term of a design patent is…