If you have a pending patent application, there are three important strategies you should know about for expanding or refining your patent protection.
A Continuation is a follow-up non-provisional application filed while the parent application remains pending. It uses identical specifications and drawings but allows different claims. This is particularly useful when some claims are allowed but the broadest claims are rejected.
A Continuation-in-Part (CIP) is similar to a continuation but includes new specifications or drawings alongside new claims. This is valuable for capturing improvements to your original invention. New disclosures receive only the CIP's filing date while earlier materials retain the parent application's priority date.
A Divisional is used when a parent application discloses multiple distinct inventions. The patent examiner typically requires restriction to one invention; the divisional preserves your rights to the remaining inventions disclosed in the original filing.
Strategic timing matters. Consider these options when your application receives an allowance notification, as there is typically a gap between approval and patent issuance during which you can file.
Discuss these strategies with your patent attorney to determine which approach best protects your intellectual property portfolio.