The earlier filing date can be important in some rapidly expanding industries where many people are simultaneously creating similar types of inventions. If two people are claiming the same invention, the one with the earlier filing date wins.
After receiving a filing date for your provisional patent application, you have 12 months to submit your formal and complete non-provisional application as explained in this article on https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/43137/20200108/why-inventhelp-is-a-great-resource-for-new-inventors.htm. If the non-provisional application is not submitted within the time limit, the application is considered abandoned and will no longer be considered.
In addition to securing an earlier filing date, another advantage of the provisional application is that it costs less than the non-provisional application. This gives you a way to stake your initial claim to an invention without committing to the expense of a complete patent application, or gives you time to raise the money necessary for completing a formal patent application. Learn more from https://www.latinpost.com/articles/143207/20200108/why-new-inventors-need-assistance-from-inventhelp.htm.
The disadvantage of filing a provisional patent application is that you have to pay filing fees twice – once for the provisional application and once for the non-provisional application. The provisional application fees are not that expensive, however, starting from $110 depending on the applicant’s status and the breadth of the application.
Note that a provisional application can not be filed for a design patent. A design patent application is simple and quick, so there is no advantage to a provisional application.
