How might publishing or otherwise making an invention public affect patentability?
In most countries, any public disclosure, verbal or in print, can immediately eliminate the potential to file a patent application. In some countries, simply telling one person not under an obligation of confidentiality might impact the right to seek patent protection. In the United States, there is a grace period, and one can file a patent application up to one year after the subject matter has been published. Even a suggestion of the invention without full details might be enough to start the clock in the United States, or eliminate the potential for foreign protection.
Related Questions
- Should I refrain from publishing a paper or making an oral public disclosure of an invention before SDSMT has filed for a patent?
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- How might publishing or otherwise making an invention public affect patentability?
