Question: When does a patent application have to be filed?
Answer: A patent application should be filed as soon as possible after the completion date of the invention. The inventor must also be ready to provide a description of his/her invention that would let someone trained in the same field as the invention to understand the description of the invention and then be able to make and use the same invention.
By law, a patent application must be filed within one year of the date your invention is fist publicly disclosed. That means your invention is pubicly known of, or used by others, or offered for sale.
If your idea is still in the early developmental stage, and you are not yet ready to file a patent application, the USPTO offers the Disclosure Document program.
A disclosure is not an application for a patent, and it will not provide any patent protection for your invention. While the disclosure document is accepted as evidence of the date of conception of your ideas, it will not necessarily provide the basis to establish an earlier filing date for any later filed patent application on your invention.
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