Abstract
This study used the US Patent Application Database to identify who files provisional applications in the United States. Preference ratios, use ratios, and provisional application to nonprovisional application ratios were used to evaluate the filing behavior of applicants in filing provisional applications with respect to nonprovisional applications. Factors encouraging filing provisional applications include the possibility to obtain an earlier filing date, a longer patent term, and an earlier promoting opportunity. Factors discouraging filing provisional applications include the eventual higher cost in filing nonprovisional applications and the additional requirements for foreign applicants to file patent applications in the United States. These factors are discussed in this paper to explain the filing behavior of applicants in filing provisional applications with respect to nonprovisional applications. Applicants from the United States, Israel, and Canada were more likely to file provisional applications than applicants from other countries. We propose that the English ability of the applicants and additional requirements for foreign applicants might be the cause of this result. Applicants in the category of Drugs and Medical were more likely to file provisional applications than applicants in other categories. We propose that the possibility for obtaining an earlier filing date and a longer patent term might be the cause of this result.
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Chen, CT., Chen, DZ. Who files provisional applications in the United States?. Scientometrics 107, 555–568 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-016-1855-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-016-1855-z