I have developed a grain drying/storage system, which I started documenting in 2008. I have shown this system, in general, to individual manufacturers and organizations without monetary compensation but never publicly put it out on the internet. Did this ruin my opportunity to patent?
-
1Was there an understanding that the information was confidential and not to be shared?– George White ♦Sep 15, 2018 at 17:34
-
There was nothing signed. All where casual general presentations.– CSDSep 16, 2018 at 0:13
-
If the first outside presentation was more than a year ago and you didn't at least say - this is my confidential information, please keep it to yourselves, it would most likely be considered - "available to the public" and therefore not patentable in the U.S.– George White ♦Sep 16, 2018 at 5:49
-
@GeorgeWhite I’d encourage you to put your last comment in an answer.– Eric S ♦Sep 16, 2018 at 18:00
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
If the first outside presentation was more than a year ago and you didn't at least say - "this is my confidential information, please keep it to yourselves", it would most likely be considered, in the words of 35 USC 102, "available to the public" and therefore not patentable in the U.S. As a generalization, most places in the world do not have a grace period but also have different rules about what constitutes a breaking of novelty.
answered Sep 21, 2018 at 21:31
