Patent Attorney and Founder
Hey everyone, just wanted to share a quick experience. I filed a provisional patent application with the USPTO a couple of weeks ago. I paid the $60 fee, and then I received a notice from them saying I needed to pay an additional $300 because some parts of the application were missing. Apparently, the $60 is just a fee for late submission.
If anyone has more info or an explanation on this, it would be really helpful.
Just to be upfront—I haven’t filed a patent in a while. We have a team that handles those. But, generally, the notice from the USPTO is pretty clear about what’s missing. A provisional patent application is less strict than a non-provisional one. It needs a cover sheet, a written description of the invention (called a specification), and I think a fee. If you want, you can include other materials, but they’re not required.
The specification is basically the detailed description of your invention. The key thing with a provisional patent is that it needs to fully explain how your invention works. Think of it as a “how-to” guide, so someone else could make and use your invention based on the description. A common mistake inventors make is being too vague when filing on their own. They tend to focus on just one version of their idea, leaving out potential variations. A solid provisional patent should cover all possible versions or aspects of your invention.
That’s pretty much it. The basics are a specification, drawings, and the cover sheet with payment.
David, anything to add?
David: Just a quick tip—once you submit something to the USPTO and they have your contact info, you’ll probably get a lot of notifications. Be careful though, not all of them are legit. Some might look like they came from the USPTO, but they’re actually scams. The ones that look really convincing are often the ones you should be most suspicious about. Scammers usually ask for money or personal info, but the USPTO doesn’t do that. If it says you owe an extra $300, be extra cautious. If you’re ever unsure, it’s a good idea to get a lawyer to help out, just to avoid any headaches down the road.