Invention disclosures

A listing of all superior and unexpected results and their associated molecules should be provided as part of each invention disclosure to the patent department. 

If a reference "teaches away" from some research activity (e.g., selecting a particular chemotype for modification, modifying a chemo-type in a specific fashion, or making a particular salt form), note this in the laboratory notebook and in the invention disclosure form. 

T. E. Bearden, Formation and Use of Time-Reversal Zones, EM Wave Transduction, Time-Density (Scalar) EM Excitation and Decay, and Spacetime Curvature Engines to Alter Matter and Convert Time Into Energy, Invention Disclosure Document 446522 (Oct. 26, 1998). 

Gooch, J. W., Larsen, J. W., McManus, A. T., and Walters, T., Medical Field Tourniquet with Automatic Occlusion Pressure Control for Upper and Lower Limbs, Invention Disclosure, Georgia Institute of Technology, September 2004. 

Different organizations have different formats for the record of invention (i.e., invention disclosure) but some common threads include a brief description of the invention, key dates including conception and reduction to practice, references to key notebook pages, and a list of proposed inventors and their contact information. This document serves as an important record as well as a helpful aid to get the patent agent or attorney started on drafting the patent application. 

The inventor prepares an Invention Disclosure describing the invention. The Disclosure is reviewed/approved by Research and forwarded to a Patent Committee for further review. If it is decided that the invention is worthy of patent protection, a patent application is drafted, finalized and filed within several months after approval by the Committee. (In the United States, patent applications can only be filed by inventors, and patents are only granted to inventors. Outside the United States, however, non-inventors can be applicants. These applicants are usually the organizations which hired the inventors, but they could be others.)... 

To avoid the loss of patent rights it is imperative that some mechanism be established that will enable scientists to promptly disclose inventions to the parties and permit a rapid decision on patent filings. Incorporation (in the sponsored research agreement) of a time table for invention disclosure and patent filing is one way to achieve this goal (e.g., all inventions will be disclosed in writing to the corporate sponsor within 30 days after they are disclosed to the university by the inventor). 

T. Grebs, et al, US Patent invention disclosure, submitted December 23, 1998. 

O Neill, H., Evans, B.R., and Woodward, J. (2002) Synthesis of a novel ion-exchange/ proton conductive membrane Invention disclosure, submitted ID 1099, S-99, 279... 

Documenting a new idea by filing an invention disclosure (sometimes also known by other names, like record of conception of invention),... 

In writing up an invention disclosure to document an idea, how can a scientist, especially one new to a project, know that the idea is new A place to start is to ask your supervisor or someone who s been working on the project for a long time. Searching an in-house database can... 

For simple invention disclosures, elaborate searching isn t required and when in doubt just write it down. It s better to repeat a known idea than to fail to document an original one. Most invention disclosures, alas, never end up resulting in patent applications, but if it turns out that the compounds are fantastic and your idea may be worth applying for a patent on, the first thing the legal department will probably do is ask you, the inventor, what you know about the prior art (previous papers, posters, patents, etc.) and then at some point do a thorough search of databases like CAS and Derwent, an important one for patents. 

As with invention disclosures, most companies will have specific requirements about keeping records of experimental data and these need to be followed. Some common rules usually... 

The researcher needs to properly document new ideas as invention disclosures... 

To the author s knowledge, not a single biotech or pharma company tries to restrict researchers from coming up with new ideas at home, as long as they re kept confidential. Many fine ideas have come from notepads filled with structures and synthetic routes drawn in fits of postprandial or insomniac inspiration that result in invention disclosures the next day. It s also a sign that you enjoy your work and are probably in the right business. Box 3.1 summarizes some points the researcher should keep in mind when it comes to intellectual property. 

Researchers coming out of academia these days will probably already be familiar with good notebook practices and might have dealt with a few patent procedures or maybe even invention disclosures before. But working in industrial drug discovery will give them something of an education in utility patents. At times these can seem to be as inscrutable as if written in Sanskrit. 

In doing this, attorneys will look at the compounds that might be included in a patent application and relevant invention disclosures, then talk to the researchers involved. At this point, the wisdom of having a written invention disclosure to point to in establishing inventorship becomes apparent. Trying to remember who suggested what first and when is a surefire route to frustration. The patent attorney needs to be able to refer to written evidence. 

Peters, R. W. Wii, J.-M. Invention Disclosure In-Well Sonication for Destruction of Organic Contaminants ANL-IN-95-103 Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, IL, 1995. 

Philipp wh Schuessler is an Advisory Chemist presently working for IBM, Federal Systems Division. He is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technmology with Bachelors and Masters degrees in Analytical and Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry. Since joining IBM in 1963 he has worked primarily in the areas of materials and process engineering. He holds several patents and invention disclosures in these areas. 

Huang, "Automatic Hydrogen Bubble Detection and Recording System for the Study of Acidic Corrosion Resistance for Anodized Aluminum and Surface Coatings", Lam Research Patent Invention Disclosure P2232, Filed for US Patent on January 4, 2011. 

Much more could be (and has been) written on this subject. Suffice it to say here that NIR is a proven route to the detection of counterfeit currency, and because of the relatively and unavoidably small database, work should be ongoing to thwart the efforts of counterfeiters. LANL offered this work as an R D 100 Contest entry in 1996 under the title SuperScan Counterfeit Currency Detector but it was not among the top 100. Moreover, the FBI and SS seemed disinterested, saying there is no problem. However, an invention disclosure was filed and a patent [9] issued. 

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