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.
