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For engineers
How to write an invention disclosure a drafter can use
What does the patent attorney actually need from us?
The problem, what was tried before, the mechanism with numbers, the alternatives you rejected, where it stops working, and any comparative data - with dates and names against each contribution.
The six things that matter
The problem, stated technically and, if possible, quantitatively.
Prior attempts, including your own failed ones. These are evidence that the solution was not obvious.
The mechanism, with the parameters that matter and the ranges over which they work - not just the values you happened to use.
Alternatives, including ones you considered and rejected. They do not have to have been built; they have to be described well enough to be performed. These become your future amendments.
Boundary conditions - where it stops working and why. This is the single most useful item on the list and the one most often missing.
Comparative data, even rough. In chemistry, life sciences and food technology this is effectively required to answer section 3 and inventive step objections.
Why dates and names matter
Inventorship is a question of fact about who devised the claimed subject matter, and it follows the claims - which change during prosecution. A contemporaneous record with names against contributions is what makes that determinable three years later, rather than a negotiation.
What to actually do
- State the problem with a number in it.
- Record alternatives you rejected, and why.
- Record where the invention stops working - that is your future amendment.
- Put names and dates against contributions as you go.
Sources & further reading
- The Patents Act, 1970 (consolidated to 1 August 2024) — Official IP India text
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Educational guidance, not legal advice. This material is published by Ragulika IP for general education and information. It is not legal advice, it does not create a professional-client relationship, and it is not a substitute for advice on your own facts. Patentability, infringement, prosecution strategy and every other IP outcome turn on the specific facts and on the law and Patent Office practice as they stand at the time you act. Please take professional advice before making a decision, and read the underlying provision or judgment before relying on any point stated here.
Last reviewed by Ragulika IP on 2026-08-23. Indian patent law and Patent Office practice change; check the position before you rely on it.