Top 3 Inventor Mistakes: Disclosure, Search, and Ownership

​​Patently Strategic - Patent Strategy for Startups

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If there were a guidebook we could hand to inventors on the first day following the conception of their idea, this episode would be it.
When is it safe to talk about or sell your invention? How do you hedge against invalidation and rejection from competitor IP? How do you ensure you actually own your invention?
In this month’s episode, Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy at Aurora, leads a discussion along with our all star patent panel, exploring the most common patenting missteps taken by inventors and startups. The focus largely centers around three key areas:
1) Publicly disclosing your invention before you have filed a patent application.
2) Not searching to see if your invention or something similar already exists commercially or in publicly available resources.
3) Not carefully contracting with outside vendors and employees to make sure you own your invention.
The group highlights best practices for not making the mistakes in the first place and explores available remedial options should you already be in need of a rescue line.
Ashley is also joined today by our always exceptional group of IP experts including:
⦿ Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategist at Aurora
⦿ Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate at Aurora
⦿ David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting
** Aurora is Hiring! **
Join us in the trenches and on this podcast! Aurora is looking for a part-time Biotech Patent Agent to help with patent portfolio management, application drafting, prosecution, and strategy. This is a salaried, fully remote position with a flexible work week and benefits. Work where you want, when you want, with a great team, on engaging subject matter, and even get the opportunity to be heard on this Podcast and featured on IPWatchdog! Learn more and apply at https://www.aurorapatents.com/careers.html.
** Resources **
⦿ Show Notes: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/top-3-inventor-mistakes
⦿ Slides: https://www.aurorapatents.com/uploads/9/8/1/1/98119826/topinventormistakes.pdf
⦿ Apply: https://www.aurorapatents.com/careers.html
** Follow Aurora Consulting **
⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/

And as always, thanks for listening!
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Note: The contents of this podcast do not constitute legal advice.

Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Hiring Announcement! (00:02:09)

3. Top Mistakes: Panel Open Forum (00:02:37)

4. Mistake: Inventor under disclosing with practitioner (00:02:56)

5. Mistake: Patent application quantity over quality (00:08:26)

6. Mistake: Ignoring prior art (00:11:08)

7. Mistake: Not optimizing IP budget (00:16:09)

8. Top Mistake 1: Public disclosure before filing (00:21:54)

9. The purpose of patents (00:22:47)

10. Disclosure rejection risk (00:23:18)

11. What constitutes public disclosure? (00:23:35)

12. What constitutes public sales / on-sale bar? (00:24:46)

13. When to publicly disclose (00:26:35)

14. Grace period options (00:27:37)

15. First Inventor to File System (00:29:25)

16. Top Mistake 2: Not Searching (00:30:02)

17. Short and long term interests of patent searching (00:30:28)

18. What is prior art? (00:31:03)

19. Prior art examples (00:31:12)

20. Patentability, FTO, and Invalidity Search Cycle (00:31:46)

21. Patentability vs. Freedom to Operate (00:32:13)

22. Search: Parts of a patent (00:34:02)

23. Patent search tools (00:34:26)

24. Top Mistake 3: Not owning your invention (00:40:32)

25. Inventorship vs. Ownership (00:41:47)

26. Assignment: Transfer of IP ownership (00:42:20)

27. Made for Hire: Transfer of IP ownership (00:45:54)

28. Successful separation tips (00:46:02)

29. NDA over reliance (00:46:20)

30. Outro (00:48:24)