The Myth of Provisional Patent Applications
Startups are routinely told to get a provisional patent application.
There is absolutely NO business reason why a startup should EVER do a provisional, and we pick apart every argument. (The only reason why startups file provisional patent applications is to placate unsophisticated investors.)
Provisional Patent Applications are not the ugly stepchild of Non-Provisional Patent Applications. They should be given your full attention.
Many people make the sin of omission: not putting enough information in their patent applications.
Other people make the sin of commission: putting way too much information in their patent applications.
Both of these errors hurt you dramatically.
Join Russ as he looks at provisional patent applications in a way you have never seen before.
You are absolutely correct. A provisional is typically filed before a patent novelty search. A search may reveal that certain aspects of the invention, not disclosed in the provisional are essential to secure patentability and not disclosed in the provisional application. The result: loss of the provisional filing date and, possibly, the invention itself. That said, provisionals can be useful.