The Lone Inventor Tutorials
Recording Your Invention


Author of the tutorial : TheLoneInventor
This will describe how you should record your invention

1 Do it Now!
2 Got your notebook?
3 --->Recording The Date of Concept
4 ----->How is it done?

1 Do it Now!

They say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Well, this is it! Now that you have some innovation and ideas, record them immidiately in some fashion. Time waits for nothing other than forgetfulness. If you have not already done so, please take some time to write down and thouroughly document your inventions on paper.

You must record it now!

If you don't, you probably never will. If you remember it later, you will be likely to set it aside in memory again loosing critical details in the process but more important, that original enthusiasm. This enthusiasm is present when you are in a state of innovation, and can invision all the possibilities for a particular technology. It tends to be strongest, of course, at the time of innovation around a concept. It won't last long.

Paper and pen? Let's begin!

A note before we start into this, an Inventor's Notebook is required to ensure maximum protection of your inventions. If you passed the Inventors Notebook section, please take a moment to read it as it explains what it is, how it should be used and so on.

Start by writing the date, in any format you wish so long as it contains the month, day and a four digit year. Follow by writing your name, inventor. Immidiately after write 'the' name for the invention, device, system, or process. Give some thought to a proper name, and try to be as all inclusive as possible. If you can think of any trademark names or slogans, write these down as well, after the complete name.

The next step is to describe your invention, device, system, or process in detail. While you are doing so, you may be building a mental picture of an embodiment of the device. If it works better for you to go right to the drawing, and then add description that is absolutly okay. Getting the invention on paper is the key focus at this point.



2 Got your notebook?

Paper and pen? Let's begin!

A note before we start into this, an Inventor's Notebook is required to ensure maximum protection of your inventions. If you passed the Inventors Notebook section, please take a moment to read it as it explains what it is, how it should be used and so on.

Start by writing the date, in any format you wish so long as it contains the month, day and a four digit year. Follow by writing your name, inventor. Immidiately after write 'the' name for the invention, device, system, or process. Give some thought to a proper name, and try to be as all inclusive as possible. If you can think of any trademark names or slogans, write these down as well, after the complete name.

The next step is to describe your invention, device, system, or process in detail. While you are doing so, you may be building a mental picture of an embodiment of the device. If it works better for you to go right to the drawing, and then add description that is absolutly okay. Getting the invention on paper is the key focus at this point.



3 --->Recording The Date of Concept

There are many ways that have been pondered at large with the hope that a quick, easy, and effective proof of date or concept can be universall enforced and used, however none devised have yet to provide complete certainty in the courts.

The Inventors First Duty:

To Protect the intellectual property right that is associated with the said property, and be able to weild it on the behalf of the inventor, to which the creation is responsible.

This is not to say that the inventor needs to profit on the invention, only that it should be up to the inventor what is done with the intellectual property. If the inventor chooses to sell and profit, very well, and if he decides to give it away, very well, but the rights of the product should rest squalry on the shoulders of thier founders.



4 ----->How is it done?

How Does One Do This?

1.) The 'proven' method thus far (by popular belief as it seems, this is a most often suggested method) has been to record, sign and date a witnessed copy of an invention disclosure within a notebook, or blank book. Although I don't know how well courts uphold such documents.

2.) I have been told to mail a copy to yourself, and the postal mark will verify the date, although I do know that this has been thrown out in courts before.

3.) The US Patent and Trademark office suggests the legal means are as follows:

  • You may file a disclosure with the patent office. The cost is free, however the document is not opened, or examined on it's merits and therefore of course cannot be considered patent protection.

  • You may file a Provisional Patent application, which for under $100 allows you to claim the status of "Patent Pending" for one year. The catch is though, that the one year deadline to file another patent application, can leave you without your invention if you are unable to provide the funds neccassary to pursue an issued patent. Utility, Design, and Plant patents are examples of issuable patents. You must file one of these complete patent applications within a year of application for your Provisional patent otherwise your rights are considered released to the public. One of the benefits to filing a Provisional Patent application if you plan to file a complete patent application is that your patent life can be extended up to a year. This is due to the fact that patents can take years to issue, however if you have a provisional patent, and file for a complete patent, the whole period that your patent is being approved, your invention is protected with patent pending.

  • You may file for yourself, or have a patent attorny file a complete patent for you. This is the long term way to protect your invention, and the only one that will result in a patent being issued to you. If you are granted a patent, certain fees must be paid upon issuance, as well as maintence fees at regular intervals.

    Nothwithstanding documentaion, disclosures and patents, there is a nagging little factor refereed to as "reduction to Practice"