KnowThis Tutorial: Marketing Method Patents

The Non-Provisional Patent Application
The non-provisional or full patent application is the only application that can lead to a patent. Successful completion requires extensive effort be directed at researching, writing, drawing and completing forms. It also requires the payment of several fees. For an individual inventor or small company fees are more reasonable (called small entity fees) compared to fees charged to larger firms. For the current USPTO fee structure see this USPTO page.

The patent application process involves the completion of several labor intensive tasks. Below we describe the important tasks required to complete the non-provisional patent application. Coverage includes:

1. Researching Prior Art
2. Identifying the Patent Classification
3. Constructing the Drawings
4. Writing the Specification
5. Writing the Claims
6. Filing the Application