patentveal

Patentveal is a term that emerged around 2005, primarily within patent law circles and online patent discussion forums. It refers to the act of revealing or disclosing details about a patent application before it has been officially published by the patent office. This can happen unintentionally through public presentations, trade shows, academic papers, or even casual conversations.

The primary concern with patentveal is that such premature disclosure can jeopardize the patentability of an invention. In many jurisdictions, including the United States, an invention must be novel and non-obvious to be granted a patent. Publicly disclosing the invention before filing a patent application, or before the application's publication date, can be considered prior art, meaning it is already known to the public. This prior art can then be used by patent examiners to reject a patent application based on a lack of novelty or obviousness.

While some countries offer grace periods that allow inventors a limited time to file a patent application after a public disclosure, these grace periods vary significantly and are not universally available. Therefore, patentveal is generally viewed as a risky practice that can inadvertently forfeit an inventor's rights. Inventors and their representatives are typically advised to maintain strict confidentiality regarding inventions until a patent application has been filed and secured.