IP Intelligence
Patent Myths
Widely repeated beliefs about patents, and what the position actually is.
Showing 4 of 51.
“A patent protects my idea.”
A patent protects a specific technical solution, defined by the words of its claims. Ideas, concepts and business plans are not protectable on their own.
“If nobody has done it before, it must be patentable.”
Novelty is one requirement. The invention also needs an inventive step, must be capable of industrial application, and must not fall inside section 3 - which excludes whole categories regardless of how new they are.
“A provisional specification protects everything I later develop.”
A provisional secures a date only for the subject matter it actually discloses. Anything added in the complete specification gets the later date.
“A university thesis is not a publication.”
A thesis deposited in a library or an institutional repository, available to the public without restriction, can be prior art.
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Every explanation here links to the ones next to it. Follow the thread rather than the menu.
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.