Filing a Provisional Patent

Here is what to do if you want to file a provisional patent application at the USPTO with their ePave and EBX/THX/BLAH templates:

Forget it.

This is by no means definitive, but after many days and long nights trying to decipher the online system, I thought I'd put up our final procedure.

Get yourself to www.nolo.com, and find this book and buy it. Read it. Answer the 9 questions. (Some are easier than others, but I still had to check the spelling on 'Khrob')

Once you've gone through their stuff on how to write it, get these forms:

The Cover Sheet
The Fee Transmittal Form
Credit Card Payment Form

Print them out, fill them in, and (here's the tricky part) Go to the post office and send them from there. (Along with your actual application stuff of course) Send them registered mail and be sure to include the return postcard with the details it says in the nolo book on it.

Because it's registered, you are effectively filing it there and then, and can get on with utilising your invention instead of worrying about how to protect the thing.

This information is provided purely for interests sake, in the hope that someone googling at 3 in the morning stumbles across it and it is of some help. I have no desire to discuss the matter further - for me, the subject of patents is now closed. Yes, the area of software patenting is full of interesting issues, annoyances and stupidities, but truth be told, I just don't care. Please feel free to put any corrections/addenda into comments below for the benefit of those who come after (or if circumstances change). Like I say - that's me and Provisional Patents turning our backs on each other for what I hope is a long time.

Good luck with your provisional patenting