What is a non-publication request?

A non-publication request is a request to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to not make an invention public before it is patented. This means that the invention will not be published in any patents database, and will remain confidential until a patent is granted. In Mississippi, a non-publication request is a request made by an inventor who wants to keep their invention a secret until they can gain a patent. The request is made to the USPTO and must be done before the invention is made public. If granted, the invention remains confidential until the patent is granted, which usually takes 18 months or more. During this time, the inventor can work on their invention without anyone else knowing about it, which offers the inventor the chance to perfect their invention before anyone else knows about it. If the inventor does not make the request, their invention will be made public and anyone can copy it, apply for a patent, or sell the invention without their permission. Non-publication requests can be beneficial for inventors because it allows them to keep their invention secret until they can gain a patent, and it offers them time to perfect their invention before anyone else knows about it.

Related FAQs

Is it possible to patent software?
What is the process of patent examination?
Do I need a patent to start a business?
Does a patent give you exclusive rights?
Can I patent a process?
What is an inventor’s oath?
What if someone else has a similar invention?
What is the difference between a product and a process patent?
What are the requirements for a design patent?
Is it possible to patent a business method?

What is a non-publication request?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts