What steps should be taken to protect one’s invention?
In order to preserve one’s rights in respect of an invention, one should not publicly disclose nor reveal the gist of the invention before deciding on the options available, taking into account the nature of the invention. If the invention is of such a nature that it can be easily copied, or there is a clear risk that other inventors may independently develop the same (or an equivalent) invention, then patent protection should be considered. A patent is the most reliable tool to protect one’s invention. This might be the case if the invention is, for example, a process to manufacture a particular substance where that process can be inferred and copied by analyzing the substance. If it is decided that the invention is to be kept as a trade secret, or that a patent application is not to be filed in the immediate future, the invention should not be disclosed to a third party except in the context of a confidentiality agreement. Before filing a patent application, it is advisable to carry
