merriman@ccavax.camb.com (07/04/90)
In article <19165@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU>, jacobsd@mist.cs.orst.edu (Dana Jacobsen) writes: > What sort of publications qualify as valid places to "publish" > an invention? For a computer graphics idea such as XOR cursors, > would a group of comp.graphics postings qualify? Or would the > patent office only accept paper publications. I suppose this > means that the patent office's software experts should be on > the net. At least then we could have some expert input to this > train.. > -- > -- The term used in patent law is disclosure, not publication. Basically, any action the inventor takes to disclose the invention to the public at large, even a very small segment of the public, constitutes disclosure. Even allowing the invention to be used by a second party without entering into a non-disclosure agreement or otherwise controlling the further dissemination of the invention can constitute disclosure. > Dana Jacobsen Oregon State University > jacobsd@cs.orst.edu Computer Science > .!hplabs!hp-pcd!orstcs!jacobsd