Filing a provisional patent application is the first step to obtaining patent protection. A provisional patent application is valid for a 12-month term. Filing a provisional patent application establishes the priority date for the invention it describes. However, a provisional patent application does not turn into a patent and is therefore not enforceable. Rather, the provisional patent application vests the applicant with the right to obtain a patent and provides them with a 12-month window to assess the commercial viability and further develop the invention. If no further development of the invention is planned, or if the applicant wishes to obtain a patent as soon as possible, it may be more appropriate to begin the patent protection process by filing a complete patent application.