What is the definition of a Divisional application?

A divisional application is specifically defined as a type of application that is filed to claim one or more independent or distinct inventions disclosed in an earlier, parent application. This is often necessary when the parent application includes claims that encompass multiple inventions, which requires the applicant to file a divisional application to comply with patent office regulations specifying that each application should only claim a single invention.

When a divisional application is filed, it essentially "carves out" a specific invention from the parent application. This allows the applicant to pursue separate patent rights for different inventions without jeopardizing the examination process of the original application. The goal of filing a divisional application is to ensure that each invention is separately examined and granted patent protection if eligible.

The other options represent different types of applications or characteristics: a new application with entirely new inventions does not meet the criteria for divisional status since divisional applications must relate back to the parent application; continuation applications that add new claims focus on expanding the scope of protection based on the same invention but do not necessarily involve distinct inventions. Provisional applications, on the other hand, serve as a temporary measure and do not require a filed parent to maintain their validity.