Before you tell anyone about your invention
It is natural to want to share a good idea. With an invention, the timing matters. This is general information, not legal advice.
The basic rule
For a UK patent, an invention generally has to be new. Something is not new if it was made available to the public before you filed, and that includes anything you did yourself. So telling the wrong person, in the wrong way, before you file can cost you the chance of a patent.
What can count as going public
- Posting about it online, including on social media
- Showing it at a trade show, a pitch event or a talk
- Selling it, or offering it for sale
- Describing it to someone who is free to pass it on
What is usually safer
- Keep details private until you have taken advice.
- If you must discuss it, ask for a written confidentiality agreement first, and keep a record of who you told and when.
- Talk to a registered patent attorney before you share it more widely. Many offer a first conversation, and they are bound by confidentiality.
What this means for a waitlist or a search tool
You do not need to give details of your invention to join a waitlist, and the Invenit waitlist does not ask for them. When Invenit opens, think about what you enter in any online tool, and take advice if you are unsure.
The short version
Speak to a registered patent attorney before you file, and before you tell anyone about your invention in public. They can tell you what applies to your case.