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From: stever@videovax.Tek.COM (Steven E. Rice, P.E.)
Newsgroups: sci.crypt,comp.misc
Subject: Re: patents -- (disclosure)
Message-ID: <4603@videovax.Tek.COM>
Date: Wed, 30-Sep-87 19:33:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: videovax.4603
Posted: Wed Sep 30 19:33:10 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 5-Oct-87 02:47:39 EDT
References: <1372@osiris.UUCP> <441@polyslo.UUCP> <686@sugar.UUCP> <155@decvax.UUCP> <2411@calmasd.GE.COM>
Reply-To: stever@videovax.Tek.COM (Steven E. Rice, P.E.)
Organization: Tektronix Television Systems, Beaverton, Oregon
Lines: 29
Keywords: patent
Summary: Letters don't cut it. . .
Xref: mnetor sci.crypt:601 comp.misc:1372

In article <2411@calmasd.GE.COM>, John Pantone (jnp@calmasd.GE.COM) writes:

> I am not a lawyer, so take this with the "standard grain of salt":
> 
> One, commonly used, method for "proving" the date of invention is to
> document the invention and mail it to yourself (postmark).  Leave the
> envelope un-opened.

I am not a lawyer either.  However, I have been told by lawyers whose
specialty is patent law that the "letter" method is not acceptable.

Many years ago, when Varian (I think. . .) was in the process of
developing the klystron, they kept engineering notebooks in which
each page was two (or three) pages separated by carbons.  At the
end of each day, each page that had been written in was witnessed
and then one copy taken to the company's lawyer, who dated them
independently and stored them in a safe deposit box.  In later
legal battles, Varian prevailed.

For proper protection of inventions, it is my understanding (again,
from lawyers whose specialty is patent law) that a carefully-kept,
properly witnessed engineering notebook is sufficient to support
your claims.

					Steve Rice

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