An encyclopedia of invention

The Inventor's Checklist

Ten stages, eighty actions, in order — with templates and resources at the critical steps. Check items off as you go; your progress saves on this device.

Tap any stage to expand its actions.

Overall progress

0% 0 of 0 actions completed

iInvent Patent Journey Checklist — 80 action items across 10 stages, 21 marked critical. All content is free to read, cite, and use under CC-BY 4.0.

Stage 01: Capturing the Idea

Document, disclose carefully, secure

Write a dated, detailed description of the invention — what it is, how it works, what problem it solves [Critical]
Start an inventor's notebook — bound or trusted digital — and record every development with dates — Download Invention Disclosure Form
Sketch and photograph the invention; keep originals with dates intact
Identify the inventive core: what exactly is new compared to everything you know exists
List everyone who contributed to the idea's conception — inventorship has legal consequences [Critical]
Keep the invention confidential — no publishing, selling, exhibiting or demonstrating before protection [Critical]
Check your employment or university agreements for IP-assignment clauses that may cover your invention [Critical]
Set up one folder — physical or digital — where every invention record lives from now on

Stage 02: Searching Prior Art

Patentability & landscape

Run natural-language searches on Google Patents using every way you'd describe the invention — Open Google Patents
Note the classification codes (CPC) on the closest results and search by code — it finds what keywords miss — Browse CPC codes on Espacenet
Repeat the search on Espacenet for international coverage — Open Espacenet
Search the market: Amazon, Alibaba, Google Shopping, crowdfunding sites — products count as prior art — Search Alibaba
Search academic literature on Google Scholar — publications count too — Open Google Scholar
Record every relevant result as you go — Download Search Report Template
Assess honestly: is the invention clearly distinguishable from everything you found? [Critical]
Treat your results as triage, not a verdict — if nothing has killed the idea, plan for a professional search with counsel before committing to filing [Critical]

Stage 03: Locking Down Confidentiality

NDAs, contracts, IP ownership

Put a written NDA in place before disclosing to any partner, designer, or manufacturer [Critical] — Download NDA Template
Keep a disclosure log: who was told what, when, and under which agreement
Sign ownership agreements with any co-developer before more work happens [Critical] — Download Assignment Agreement
Put IP-assignment clauses in every contractor engagement
Learn the disclosure rules for countries you care about — grace periods differ, and many countries have none [Critical]
Hold off on publishing, crowdfunding, or trade shows until after filing
Mark every shared document “Confidential”
Track NDA terms and expiry dates in your disclosure log

Stage 04: Finding an Attorney

Choose & engage counsel

Decide honestly what you'll do yourself and where you need counsel — stakes and complexity, not just budget
Search the official register of patent practitioners for your country (e.g., the USPTO practitioner register) — USPTO Practitioner Search
Shortlist practitioners with experience in your technical field
Ask each about fees up front: flat vs hourly, and typical totals for drafting and filing
Check whether you qualify for small-entity or micro-entity fee discounts
Interview two or three; ask who will actually draft your application
Agree scope and cost in an engagement letter before any work starts [Critical]
Hand over your notebook and search report — organised inventors get lower bills

Stage 05: Filing the Patent

Applications & filing strategy

Choose the application type — provisional vs non-provisional (or your country's equivalent) — deliberately [Critical]
Decide your first-filing country; it sets your priority date everywhere
Prepare drawings to the patent office's formal standards
Get the claims right — they define your protection; this is where counsel earns their fee [Critical]
Verify every name, inventorship detail, and applicant entity exactly as it should appear
Claim small- or micro-entity status if you qualify — the discounts are large
File, save the filing receipt, and calendar the 12-month priority deadline immediately [Critical] — USPTO Patent Center
Keep the application's details confidential — “patent pending” is all the world needs to know

Stage 06: Going International

PCT & country filings

Understand the 12-month priority window — foreign rights depend on acting inside it [Critical]
List the countries that commercially matter: where you'd manufacture, sell, or need to enforce
Compare the PCT route against direct national filings for your list
Budget realistically: translations, local agents, and national-phase fees at ~30/31 months [Critical]
If going international, file the PCT application before the priority deadline — WIPO ePCT Filing Portal
Calendar every national-phase deadline the moment the PCT is filed — WIPO PCT Time Limits Reference
Consider regional routes where they fit — EPO, GCC, ARIPO, OAPI
Have key claim terms checked in translation — a bad translation narrows protection

Stage 07: Building a Prototype

Prototype, test, manufacture

Build the simplest prototype that proves the invention works
Document every iteration in the notebook — improvements may be separately patentable
Keep every prototyper and manufacturer under NDA before they see anything [Critical] — Download Prototype Agreement
Consider new filings for significant improvements discovered while prototyping
Test the prototype against your claims — does the product embody what you filed?
Vet manufacturers on IP practice, especially overseas — ask how they protect customer designs — Download Manufacturing Agreement
Refine the design for manufacturing cost, not just function
Keep supplier quotes, samples, and correspondence in the invention folder

Stage 08: Responding to Examination

Office actions & grant

Docket every office-action deadline the day it arrives [Critical]
Read the rejection carefully — novelty, obviousness, or formalities are different problems
Study every reference the examiner cited; they're now the closest known prior art — Look up cited references on Google Patents
Respond with arguments and amendments — counsel strongly recommended here [Critical]
Watch what each amendment costs in scope — a narrower claim is a narrower monopoly
Consider requesting an examiner interview; a conversation often resolves what letters can't
Pay issue and grant fees on time — cases die at the finish line [Critical]
At grant, docket the full maintenance/annuity schedule for the patent's life

Stage 09: Licensing & Selling

Commercialise, license, enforce

Choose your route deliberately: make and sell yourself, license, or sell the patent outright
Identify companies already making or selling in your product's space
Prepare a one-page, non-confidential pitch — the problem, the solution, the status of protection
Approach companies with an NDA where possible; share only the non-confidential pitch without one
Learn typical royalty structures and ranges for your industry before any negotiation
Never sign a licence or assignment without professional review [Critical] — Download Licence Agreement — Download Assignment Template
Monitor the market for products that look like your claims
If you find infringement: document it, and go through counsel — enforcement is a strategy, not a reflex

Stage 10: Scaling the Portfolio

Portfolio strategy & growth

Map each patent and application to the product or revenue it protects
Prune honestly — abandon rights that no longer justify their fees
Pay every maintenance fee on time — calendar all of them, everywhere [Critical]
File continuations and improvement applications where the core deserves deeper protection
Add trademarks and design rights around the brand and the look, where they fit
Review the whole portfolio once a year against the business it serves
Keep ownership records, agreements and fee histories due-diligence-ready
Record licence income and obligations per patent — clean books make partners confident