Importance of Keeping your new idea confidential until you file for a patent

Hi, I'm John Rizvi, the patent professor. We've all heard the phrase loose lips sink ships. This phrase was coined in World War Two to discourage people from discussing shipping schedules. This way enemy agents wouldn't overhear them. in patent law, we have another phrase, loose lips, launch chips. In other words, ideas launch companies. And if you discuss your idea with the wrong person, someone else might launch their company using your idea. Let's look at an important example. In the 1990s software innovation was everywhere. The epicenter of this expansion was Silicon Valley, a group of college students had just formed a company to cow herd, which had created an existing breakthrough in internet communication by hosting multi listing capabilities on a single website. One day, a man came to to Calvert's offices, and asked some questions the founders have to cowherd excited about their breakthrough explained to the man how the system work, the man left with a head full of ideas, which he discussed over dinner with his girlfriend. Because two cow herd did not patent their idea. The man took the knowledge gained from his interviews and filed his own patent, launching a small online auction house. The business took off and survived the tech bubble collapse of the late 1990s to Cowherd, unfortunately, became a footnote. But eBay is worth billions of dollars. This story shows how important it is not to discuss your invention with anyone other than a registered patent attorney before you have a patent on file. Once you've applied for a patent, you can talk about your invention or you like however until the patent application is in your invention is like a baby surrounded by dingoes are wild dogs vulnerable and ripe for the plucking. by anybody with the capability. Whoever gets to the patent office first wins. Don't let loose lips launch someone else's shit. Talk to me, John Rizvi, the patent professor, I can help you navigate the hazards of the patent application process and make sure the only ship you launch is your own.