Why are the dates of conception and disclosure important?
The U. S. patent system is a “first to invent” system. The party that can prove they were the first to invent gets the rights to the patent. Keeping dated notes that others have witnessed, and other records is potentially very important for patenting. The date of public disclosure is important because in the U. S. an inventor has one year from the date of disclosure in which to file a patent application. Once the invention has been publicly disclosed foreign patent rights are lost.
