Patents
3. Keep Your Invention Secret
Last updated: 16 Aug 2015
- One of the key requirements for patent protection is that the invention be novel (new).
- Disclosing your invention before you apply for a patent can destroy novelty and prevent you from obtaining a patent.
- If in doubt you should get advice from a patent attorney before speaking to anyone else.
- You should also enter into confidentiality agreements with anyone you are discussing your invention with.
- While confidentiality agreements have their limitations they still perform an important function in protecting novelty because a disclosure under a confidentiality agreement is not a public disclosure.
View more Information on Intellectual Property