Are provisional applications published or made available to the public?
No, provisional applications are not published or made available to the public by the USPTO. The MPEP 201.04 clearly states:
A provisional application is not subject to publication and is not subject to examination other than to review for national security implications.
This means that the contents of a provisional application remain confidential unless and until a corresponding non-provisional application is published or a patent is issued. This confidentiality can be advantageous for inventors who want to maintain secrecy while securing an early filing date.
For more information on provisional application, visit: provisional application.
Topics:
MPEP 200 - Types and Status of Application; Benefit and Priority,
MPEP 201 - Types of Applications,
Patent Law,
Patent Procedure