ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Invention disclosure

An invention disclosure is like telling someone about a super cool idea that you came up with! It's like saying "Hey, I thought of something awesome and I want to share it with you!" But instead of telling your friends or family, you tell a special group of people called patent lawyers or your boss at work.

The reason you would want to tell a patent lawyer or your boss about your idea is because they can help you protect it legally, which means nobody else can copy it or steal it from you. This is important because you don't want someone else to take all the credit for something that you came up with.

When you tell someone about your idea, you have to be very detailed and explain everything about it. You have to describe how it works, what it does, how it's different from other things out there, and why people would want to use it. You might even draw pictures or make models to help explain your idea.

Once you've told your patent lawyer or your boss about your idea, they write down everything you said in a special document called an invention disclosure. This document is important because it helps protect your idea and it's the first step towards getting a patent, which is like an official piece of paper that says you own the idea.

So, in summary, an invention disclosure is like telling someone about a super cool idea you came up with, but it's a special group of people like patent lawyers or your boss at work. They help protect your idea legally, and you have to be very detailed and explain everything about your idea. This document is important because it helps protect your idea and is the first step towards getting a patent.