What are the main types of national applications under U.S. patent law?

There are two main types of national applications under U.S. patent law:

• Nonprovisional applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a)
• Provisional applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(b)

As stated in the MPEP, Applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) include original nonprovisional utility, plant, design, divisional, continuation, and continuation-in-part applications filed under 37 CFR 1.53(b), reissue applications filed under 37 CFR 1.53(b), and design patent continued prosecution applications (CPAs) filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d).

To learn more:

• national applications
• nonprovisional applications
• provisional applications
• patent types