Can a provisional patent act as a catch-all?

A provisional patent is good for two things. It is a date-stamped proof of invention and gives you time to determine whether to incur the cost of filing a full patent. Yes, so long as the individual component pieces you think are useful are sufficiently described in detail within the one general application, it sets you up to later claim utility patents for any and all of these, providing they really are unique.

But in general, I would really caution you from spending time and money to file patents for a software company. I've built many innovative software products over 20 years of work in our industry and only filed one patent in my life, and even that patent is only to protect people from abusing a truly transformative and world-changing technology.

That said, a provisional patent is inexpensive and if any expense is going to be incurred here, a catch-all is sufficient if you feel inclined to file anything at all. If your goal is an acquihire or acquisition, utility patents do actually make a difference in the acquirers valuation (at least for now) but if you're thinking about it from an actual defensive perspective, I'd really advise that it's not worth your time (and distraction) and money.

The best defence is a great offence. Scale up, get great engagement from users who love your product and you'll be in a much stronger to fight competitors.

Lastly, if you do decide to file a provisional patent, don't claim to anyone that you have I.P. You don't. :)

Happy to talk through this in a call with you. Best of luck!

I've got six utility patents in four separate industries - not all patent attorneys are created equal. You should find a patent attorney who has done work in your area of desired patent protection. Not only have they written patents in that space, but have they successfully prosecuted patents in that space?

As for patent-pending...it's true that you need to file within one year of making a public disclosure, but how you file the Provisional Patent Application (PPA) will depend on your determined course of execution. If you simply want "perceived ownership" for one year then as a micro entity a PPA costs $65 to file and no one will look at the PPA.

However, if at the end of one year you decide to file a utility patent you will only be able to claim the benefit of what was disclosed in the PPA. This is where many inventors shoot themselves in the foot! If you have every intention of getting the utility patent then you'll need to write your PPA with the same level of detail as you would write your utility. Usually, when inventors learn this they skip the PPA and go straight to filing the utility.

I don't know your business but if you're not going after a licensing play then you might ask how better you might spend $10k - $100K in your business other than on patents? My patent strategy is VERY different today than how I operated 10 years ago.

Clear as mud? Good luck. :-)

PS
If you'd like to call me and discuss further I will educate you on what strategies are available that would be the best fit for you and then help you craft and execute your strategy.

Yes. Put everything in one provisional, if you can. But the provisional is worthless unless you file a non-provisional within a year of filing the provisional. Make sure to put as much detail about 'structure' as you can (computers/servers, memory, hard drives, processors). Because you likely will be filing business method claims later on, the structure will be necessary to the claims.

I believe it more or less captures all. Let look at provisional patent in details.
Provisional Patent Specification:
When an invention has reached a stage where it can be disclosed on paper, but it is not complete, a provisional patent application may be filed to claim a priority date. A provisional specification reveals the invention for which the patent is sought sans the claims. This means that while the invention is disclosed, the formal claims need not be submitted just yet. A provisional patent application must be followed by a complete specification within 12 months from the date of filing the provisional specification.
Merits of a provisional patent application:
Priority Date: A provisional application reserves a date for the patent. Essentially, when the complete specification is filed within 12 months of filing the provisional specification, the date of application of the patent will be the date on which the provisional application was filed. This secures the priority date for the invention against any other invention being developed in the same field.
12 months: The applicant has 12 months to completely develop and define his invention. During this time, the applicant can meticulously draft the complete specification with the claims. This period of 12 months can also be used to determine the economic feasibility of the patent.
Cost: A provisional patent costs less as compared to a complete specification (in the initial stage). If the patent is commercially viable then the higher cost can be spent in obtaining the patent.
Patent Pending: After filing a provisional patent application the applicant can use the term Patent Pending insofar as the invention for which the patent is applied is concerned. This could act as a bulwark against potential infringers.
Demerits of a provisional patent application:
Abandoned: If the complete application is not filed within 12 months from the date on which the provisional application was filed, the application will be abandoned. This means that the applicant can no longer claim the priority date.
Substantially Similar: The invention disclosed in the provisional specification must be as equal to the complete specification. The invention disclosure has to be substantially similar in the provisional as well as the complete specification. The provisional specification must include an enabling description of the invention and its best mode. This essentially means that provisional specification must be framed to cover same as that of the complete specification.
Overall, a provisional patent application is an especially useful tool for securing a priority date for an invention that is nearing completion, but still requires time to be developed fully. As long as precaution is taken to draft the provisional specification effectively and to file the complete specification within 12 months, a provisional application helps the applicant gain time to refine his invention and draft the complete specification comprehensively.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath