Prior to Filing: the Secrecy Problem

To encourage inventors to quickly file patents, many foreign governments require that the inventor file a patent application prior to any of these events:

• the first public use of the invention;
• the date of publication of any description of the invention; or
• the date of any sale, or offer for sale, the invention.

In one case, a secret invention was “stolen” by competitor through corporate espionage. [Read more]