Keepin’ a List and Checkin’ It Twice
This book is not about the process of invention, per se; however, it is, in part, about the protection of inventions. And in that regard, it is very important that you keep records throughout each project in an inventor’s notebook. There are six important dates you need to memorialize in writing. Co-inventors, colleagues, or friends who have a grasp of your invention should witness each entry. Be sure to store your inventor’s notebook in a safe place!
Now, here are those dates:
◆ The date you conceived the invention
◆ The date you reduced the invention to practice
◆ The date you first showed your invention to others
◆ The date your invention was first published
◆ The date you first offered the invention for sale
◆ The date you licensed the invention
Why are these dates important? For several reasons. If you and one or more inventors file for a patent on the same invention, at the same time, dates of conception and reduction to practice can give you the edge.
definition
Conception is the moment you first thought of your invention. Document it with a notebook entry, for example, showing the time and date you had the brainstorm. A simple sketch makes the entry even more efficacious. Sign and date the sketch, too. The reduction to practice is the date when you built a breadboard or prototype or filed a patent application.
The law states that you must file a patent application within one year of the date you first use the invention for commercial purposes or put it up for sale or licensing at, let’s say, an inventor expo. If you show it to others who are under a confidentiality agreement, this is not deemed to have been placed in “public use.” A notebook entry of such activity can establish your position should the need arise.
If you are challenged, this date can be critical. You lose the right to apply for a patent within one year after you offer an invention for sale. So knowing this date may provide invaluable proof that you fall within the limit.
And “sold” does not mean that money changes hands. You could do a trade, for example. Whichever it is, should you ever need proof of this date, you will have it in the notebook.
Bright Ideas
Dutch inventor Cornelius Van Drebbel is credited with constructing the first compound microscope. During the early 1620s, he designed and built his most famous invention, the submarine. Greased leather stretched over a wooden frame, the U-boat was propelled by oars projecting through the sides and sealed with leather flaps, and it was capable of traveling 12 to 15 feet below the surface. Tubes running to the surface supplied fresh air.
Drebbel also invented the first thermostat, which used a column of mercury and a system of floats and levers to hold a steady temperature within a furnace. He later invented an incubator for hatching eggs that used his principle for temperature regulation.
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