Overview of the American Inventor's Protection Act of 1999
If life were like the popular board game Monopoly®, obtaining meaningful patent protection would be as simple as buying up Boardwalk and Park Place. In the board game, you simply purchase the property you want, place houses or hotels on them over time, and eagerly collect a continual revenue stream from the successful venture.
The rules governing monopolies on ideas, however, are significantly more complex and have recently undergone one of the most far-reaching changes in history. As you mull over the unique features of your newly discovered invention or method of doing business, it is important to consider recent changes in patent law and their particular importance to individual inventors.
PUBLISHING OF APPLICATIONS
If you are like most inventors, the thought of publicly disclosing the secret details of your invention before a patent has been issued is very unsettling. Few inventors realize, however, that under the American Inventor's Protection Act of 1999, the confidential details disclosed in their U.S. patent applications may be promptly published eighteen months from the earliest claimed filing date unless certain conditions are met.
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