IP Intelligence › Ask a Question › I have an invention. Where do I start?
Guided answer
I have an invention. Where do I start?
Four questions that decide what you should do this month.
There may be more left than you think.
Anticipation requires the prior disclosure to contain the claimed subject matter. Showing that a device works does not necessarily disclose how it works.
- Write down precisely what was visible or stated, and what was not.
- File quickly on the undisclosed mechanism before anything further becomes public.
- Avoid any further disclosure until something is on file.
Read next
This is educational guidance, not personalised legal advice. It cannot see your documents, your dates or the prior art, and those are usually what decide the answer. Use it to understand the question, then take advice on your own facts.
Not sure whether this applies to your invention?
The honest answer usually needs someone to look at your actual disclosure, your timeline and the prior art. That is a conversation, not an article.