Keep Your Idea Under Wraps
Be sure you don’t disclose information about your work except to your patent attorney or, in other cases, with a solid non-disclosure agreement (NDA). You run the risk that someone may beat you to the patent process. If they have a good patent attorney on their side, it could jeopardize your ability to receive a patent even if you do possess some prior work.
What to do if you’ve already told people about your idea without a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement? Get an agreement as soon as possible. You may need help with this from an attorney, who can word the agreement so that your idea is as well protected as possible.
If you publish your idea publicly, such as in a printed publication or on a web site, you must apply for a patent within a year, or you will forfeit your right to patent that invention.
