What are the different stages of a patents life?
Although most inventors are concerned with the rights a patent grants during its monopoly, or in-force, period (from the date the patent issues until it expires), the law actually recognizes five “rights” periods in the life of an invention. These five periods are as follows: • Invention conceived but not yet documented. When an inventor conceives an invention, but hasn’t yet made any written, signed, dated, and witnessed record of it, the inventor has no rights whatsoever. • Invention documented but patent application not yet filed. After making a proper, signed, dated, and witnessed documentation of an invention, the inventor has valuable rights against any inventor who later conceives the same invention and applies for a patent. The invention may also be treated as a “trade secret” — that is, kept confidential — which gives the inventor the legal right to sue and recover damages against anyone who immorally learns of the invention (for example, through industrial spying). • Patent
Although most inventors are concerned with the rights a patent grants during its monopoly, or in-force, period (from the date the patent issues until it expires), the law actually recognizes five “rights” periods in the life of an invention. These five periods are as follows: Invention conceived but not yet documented. When an inventor conceives an invention, but hasn’t yet made any written, signed, dated, and witnessed record of it, the inventor has no rights whatsoever.Invention documented but patent application not yet filed. After making a proper, signed, dated, and witnessed documentation of an invention, the inventor has valuable rights against any inventor who later conceives the same invention and applies for a patent. The invention may also be treated as a “trade secret” — that is, kept confidential — which gives the inventor the legal right to sue and recover damages against anyone who immorally learns of the invention (for example, through industrial spying). • Patent pend
