nonprovisional

A nonprovisional patent application is the standard type of patent application filed with a patent office, such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Unlike a provisional application, which simply establishes a filing date and is not examined, a nonprovisional application is a complete and formal application that is subject to examination by a patent examiner.

To be considered nonprovisional, the application must contain a specification that includes a written description of the invention, claims that define the scope of protection sought, drawings (if necessary to understand the invention), and an abstract. The applicant must also pay the required filing fees. Once filed, the nonprovisional application will be assigned to a patent examiner who will review it for compliance with patentability requirements, such as novelty, non-obviousness, and utility. The examiner may issue office actions requesting clarifications or amendments to the application. The applicant then has a period to respond to these office actions. If the application meets all requirements, it will eventually be allowed and granted as a patent. Filing a nonprovisional application is the necessary step to obtain an enforceable patent.