In simple words, a provisional patent application can be best described as a low cost alternative to a non provisional patent. This is ideally a preliminary step before you actually file a patent. A provisional patent offers you an additional year of protection before your invention is actually launched in the market. So, you do not have to worry about your idea being stolen till the time your invention is launched in the market.
Many a times, companies use a provisional patent to buy time to test their invention. So, during the testing time, the invention stays protected. If the invention proves to be successful, the companies can go ahead and invest in the process of buying a patent. And in case, it does not seem to be working, further costs of investing in a patent can be ruled out.
Thus, provisional patent proves to be the perfect test to determine whether you need to invest in a patent or not.
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