Mistakes to avoid
Understanding the novelty criterion

Not to mention the inventions that have become ineligible for patent protection due to premature disclosure by the inventor himself, at a time when he was seeking protection. Even when disclosure is made in a way that seems to leave no trace (such as oral disclosure or use), it is often the case that the information is disclosed on the Internet, where it is much more difficult to hide. The desire to communicate about an invention for promotional purposes, or to explain a technical advance at a conference, must not lead to the novelty of your invention being compromised: make sure you have filed an application before any public disclosure, and make sure your company's marketing department is aware of this issue.