Provisional patent applications are growing in popularity, but they may not always correlate with commercial success.
image: http://feeds.directnews.co.uk/feedtrack/justcopyright.gif?feedid=3832&itemid=800915060 --- # [](https://www.innovation-asset.com/) - [Decipher®](https://www.innovation-asset.com/products-decipher) - [Services](https://www.innovation-asset.com/products/professional-services-0) - [Resources](https://www.innovation-asset.com/resources) - [Blog](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog) - [About Us](https://www.innovation-asset.com/about) - [Contact Us](https://www.innovation-asset.com/contact) # Innovation Asset Blog # Provisional patent applications leaving an impression by [Peter Ackerman](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/author/peter-ackerman) Provisional patent application (PPA) filings have consistently risen in all but one of the past 15 years, according to the latest analysis from [PatentlyO](http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2012/11/provisional-patent-applications-as-a-flash-in-the-pan-many-are-filed-and-many-are-abandoned.html). However, the popularity of this tactic does not always correlate with patent pursuit or award. PPA filing is an intellectual property strategy that affords an applicant an additional year to assess and refine a potentially promising invention. The maneuver gives the applicant filing-date priority claim, according to PatentlyO, which could be even more valuable as the U.S. transitions to a [first to file](https://www.innovation-asset.com/ip_strategy/business_of_ip.aspx) system. More than 160,000 PPAs were filed in Fiscal Year 2012 - an all-time high. Yet fewer than half of these applications were ultimately pursued through to the non-provisional stage. At the same time, due primarily to the number of filings, a larger percentage of non-provisional applications can now claim priority to an earlier date. Although PPA filings may not be the most accurate barometer of application approval, more startup companies are coming to view this early action as a potential low-risk, high-reward scenario. According to [TechCrunch](http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/24/an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-patents-are-patents-right-for-your-company/), PPA filings are relatively inexpensive to complete and could save cash-strapped companies from committing precious resources to an idea they later find lacking in substance.  ### [Peter Ackerman](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/author/peter-ackerman) Founder & CEO, Innovation Asset Group, Inc. [November 28, 2012](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/provisional-patent-applications-leaving-an-impression) ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Introducing Decipher® ### Categories - [Intellectual Property Management (459)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/intellectual-property-management) - [Commercialization and Licensing (210)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/commercialization-and-licensing) - [Invention Disclosure (201)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/invention-disclosure) - [Innovation Strategy (20)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/innovation-strategy) - [Ideas for Good (6)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/ideas-for-good) - [Innovation Team (3)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/innovation-team) ### News Archives - [January 2013 (26)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2013/01) - [September 2012 (25)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/09) - [October 2012 (22)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/10) - [November 2012 (22)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/11) - [November 2010 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2010/11) - [February 2011 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2011/02) - [July 2012 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/07) - [December 2012 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/12) - [January 2012 (20)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/01) - [March 2012 (20)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/03) ##### Portland, Oregon USA ##### © Innovation Asset Group, Inc. ##### [Privacy Policy](https://www.innovation-asset.com/privacy-policy/) | [Terms & Conditions](https://www.innovation-asset.com/terms-and-conditions/) | [Contact Us](https://www.innovation-asset.com/contact/) -