Inventors often make terrible mistakes regarding public disclosure of inventions. As such a brief explanation of public disclosure of inventions and how it will affect your patent rights is provided below.
Public disclosure of inventions entails any disclosure of information about the invention before the actual patent application filing is done.
It doesn’t just entail broadcasting or journal articles, but any means of information distribution with a detailed enough description of the invention that will make duplication or usage of the invention possible.
This thus also includes public disclosure of inventions through news articles, the Internet, forums, theses, presentations and more.
The following are pitfalls to avoid regarding public disclosure of inventions:
- Discussions with people other than those working on the project
- Website posts
- Abstracts about the proposed patent
- Posters
- Communication through unprotected emails
- Presentations and talks at seminars or any form of meetings.
Once public disclosure of inventions has taken place, the patent applications will not be successful.
Patent Links
- Gadget Invention Patent Application – Even before you take the gadget invention to another party for review and assistance, file the all important provisional patent application.
- How to Patent Inventions – To protect your rights as an inventor you need to file patent applications for your inventions in each country, where protection is sought.
- Protect your Invention – For public disclosure and protection of an invention, the inventor needs to apply for a patent.
- Patent Application – Contact Request
