What are the main differences between a national application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) and a national stage application submitted under 35 U.S.C. 371?

The main differences between a national application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) and a national stage application submitted under 35 U.S.C. 371 include:

• Filing Date
• Priority Requirements
• Unity of Invention
• Filing Fees

As stated in MPEP 1896: “The differences between a national application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) and a national application submitted under 35 U.S.C. 371 are often subtle, but the differences are important.”

To learn more:

• National Application
• PCT Application
• Patent Filing
• Patent Procedure