Patentmania
Depatent

BetaiPhone

Choose a patent or depatent default

Tell the app whether you usually plan to patent an idea or publish it as prior art, and what that setting does today.

Updated

What it does

An invention can go two ways. You can patent it, which means taking the draft to a patent attorney and then to the USPTO (the United States Patent and Trademark Office). Or you can depatent it, which means publishing it openly on depatent.com so that it becomes prior art (public knowledge that stops anyone, including you, from patenting the same idea later). Publishing like this is called a defensive publication.

The setting "Patent or depatent" stores which of the two you expect to choose most often. You set it once instead of answering every time.

How to use it

  1. During the intro, the last screen "Patent or depatent?" shows three cards: Patent, depatent and I'll decide on each draft. Tap one.
  2. To change it later, open Settings and find the Patent or depatent section.
  3. Pick a Default action: "Patent (USPTO)", "depatent (publish on depatent.com)" or "Decide on each draft".

If you skip the intro, the default is "Decide on each draft".

Settings that affect it

Settings > Patent or depatent > Default action. The choice is saved on your iPhone and in your account preferences.

Limits and honest caveats

  • The default is a saved preference. It does not change what a draft screen shows today. A ready draft shows a Publish as prior art button whatever you picked, and nothing in the app files a patent for you. See "Publish a draft as prior art".
  • The setting texts in the app say you can pick a path per draft. Today the draft screen has no separate per-draft chooser, so do not count on one.
  • Choosing "depatent" does not publish anything. Publishing always asks you to confirm.
  • This is not legal advice. Ask a patent attorney which path suits your invention.

FAQ

Does picking "patent" file an application for me? No. The app does not file applications.

Can I change my mind? Yes, in Settings at any time.

What is the difference between the two? A patent can give you exclusive rights if it is granted. A publication on depatent.com makes the idea public so nobody can patent it, and you give up your own chance to patent it.