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I have an invention. Where do I start?
Four questions that decide what you should do this month.
This is not yet an invention in patent terms.
Patent law protects a technical solution described well enough to be performed. An idea, a concept or a business plan is not protectable on its own.
- Work out the mechanism. That is what will be protected, not the concept.
- Keep it confidential while you do - anything public now becomes prior art against you later.
- If the value is commercial rather than technical, other rights may fit better than a patent.
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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.