To apply for a patent, you must file an application and pay required fees. Each patent application has several forms that must be filled out and submitted.A list of these forms can be found here. The purpose of this guide is to provide you with basic information about filing a utility patent application with the USPTO. In order for an invention to be patented, it must be new, useful and non-obvious. New means that the invention must not have ever been patented before. Are you applying for a patent? Learn more about how a provisional patent can be used to protect your innovation in the interim. Before You Can Register a Mark - You Must Use the Mark! Assignments and other transfers of interest in patents and patent applications can be recorded in the USPTO.