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Chapter 6
PROVISIONAL PATENT
APPLICATIONS REVEALED
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Obtaining a US patent on an invention requires ling a patent application in the
USPTO so that it can be examined. Most patent applications are “utility” patent
applications, which cover the kinds of inventions having some functional use
(asopposed to a “design” patent application, which covers ornamental aspects of
articles of manufacture), and are the kind with which most people are familiar.
Utility patent applications fall into ve main categories, namely:
•
Mechanical
•
Electrical
•
Chemical
•
Pharmaceutical
•
Soware
Patents that issue from utility patent applications are c ...