What constitutes public disclosure of an invention?
A disclosure of information that is sufficient to allow a scientist in the field of the invention to make, use, or otherwise practice the invention constitutes a public disclosure. Publications and patents are examples of public disclosures. Posters, abstracts, and Internet postings can also be public disclosures if they are of sufficient detail that a scientist could learn how to practice the invention. In addition, any public discussion or demonstration of the invention in the U.S. , including staff meetings attended by the public and professional conferences, can constitute public disclosures. Even samples that are distributed to another colleague for research purposes may be deemed a public disclosure depending upon the degree of control retained by the inventor.
