Inventor A had made an electronics invention that was completed and ready for patenting on March 16, 2013. Since there was a meeting of the IEEE in the following week, the inventor prepared a detailed disclosure of the invention (including a written description including the best mode, and how to make and use the invention including several drawings) and provided an electronic copy to the publication director at the meeting. On the next day, March 24, 2013, the invention disclosure was published on the IEEE Website which was available to all of the members and also the public at large. The IEEE Website was well known to those involved in the electronics industry. The inventor is interested in patenting the invention.What should the inventor do next?
(A) File a provisional application on or before March 24, 2014.
(B) File a nonprovisional application on or before March 24, 2014.
(C) Wait until marketing shows that the invention will be a success and then file a patent application.
(D) (A) and (B) are correct.
(E) None of the above.
ANSWER: (D). See MPEP 717, first paragraph and 35 USC 102(b)(1).
“35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) provides that a disclosure made one year or less before the effective filing date of a claimed invention shall not be prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) with respect to the claimed invention if:
(1) the disclosure was made by the inventor or joint inventor or by another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor; or
(2) the subject matter disclosed had, before such disclosure, been publicly disclosed by the inventor or a joint inventor or by another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor.”
Questions prepared by David E. Meeks, Esq., Institute for Patent Studies, Inc. All rights reserved.