Disclosure Quality Check
A self-check before you hand off your disclosure, catches the common gaps that make a disclosure harder to work with. Free checklist for inventors.
The inventor's paper trail
A disclosure is only as useful as it is complete. This idea disclosure checklist catches the gaps that most often make a disclosure harder for an attorney to work with, before you hand it off.
Each item is your own self-check, not a platform grade and not a readiness verdict (that is counsel's call). It is not legal advice.
The Template
Quality Self-Check
Enablement Self-Check
Read your disclosure as an engineer in your field trying to build it from scratch. Could you? What's missing, wiring diagram, parameter values, materials, algorithm steps? Write each gap as a sentence. And: does it cover the broader idea, not just one embodiment?
Absolute-Language Check
Scan for "must," "always," "only," "required," "essential," "the invention." Absolute words can hide uncertainty and make optional details look essential, which makes the record harder to interpret later. Softer is usually truer: "one example uses a hash function" rather than "the invention always uses a hash function." Counsel decides claim language. List any, or "none."
Plain-Language Check
Did you accidentally write claim-shaped sentences? "A method comprising," "wherein," "characterized by," "said component." Claim drafting is a separate step your attorney handles; keeping the disclosure in plain engineering language keeps the technical record clear. List any, or "none."
Figures
All figures present and labeled / some present, gaps known / no figures yet. For software, flowcharts and system diagrams count.
Inventorship Self-Check
Each named inventor contributed conceptually to at least one part of the invention (not just funding, management, or testing). Yes / No.
Outside-US Protection?
US-first or US-only / plan to pursue outside the US too / no outside-US plans / unsure. Surface early so counsel can flag related obligations.
Public-Disclosure Dates
Any part publicly shared, talk, blog, GitHub release, demo, paper, public alpha? If yes, what date and where? Capture facts; counsel uses them for filing timing.
Ownership Chain
Employer/inventor agreement signed and unambiguous / solo inventor, no employer claim / mostly clear, paperwork pending / multiple parties may have an interest.
Outstanding Questions
Anything else to flag before review. Optional.
Use it in the platform (coming soon)
Our platform will let you fill this in interactively straight from a code scan and export a finished document. Until it launches, use the template above.
See the Concept Scanner or how to write a strong disclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes an idea disclosure high quality?
Enough technical detail that someone skilled in the field could rebuild it, coverage of the broader idea (not just one version), figures or flowcharts where they help, honest inventorship, and any public-disclosure dates. This checklist walks each of those.
Why avoid words like must, always, and the invention?
Absolute language can unintentionally narrow how the idea is later interpreted, describing the invention as one specific thing can limit it to that thing. Referring to one embodiment or one example instead keeps options open. Your attorney makes the final wording calls; this check just flags the language to review.
Who counts as an inventor?
Inventorship is a legal determination, but as a rule of thumb it is the people who contributed to conceiving the idea, not those who only funded, managed, or tested it. Record everyone who contributed and what they did; a patent attorney decides who is formally named.
What counts as a public disclosure?
More than most people expect. A conference talk, a blog post, a GitHub release, a demo, a paper, and even some private events or betas without confidentiality terms, can count. Capture what was shared, to whom, and when; your attorney weighs the impact.
Does this checklist tell me if my disclosure is ready to file?
No. It is your own self-check to catch common gaps; it does not grade your disclosure or decide readiness. Whether a disclosure is ready to become a filing is a decision for a patent attorney.
Scope. This is a self-check; it does not grade your disclosure or decide readiness to file. Rules can differ by country.
Disclaimer. This template is used solely to document, organize, and describe a technical idea. It and any output are for informational and technical-documentation purposes only and are not a substitute for advice from qualified intellectual property counsel. Use of this template does not constitute legal services or legal, patent, patentability, inventorship, ownership, claim-drafting, filing-strategy, deadline, or freedom-to-operate advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship with Obviously Not. Intellectual-property protection can be time-sensitive: public disclosure, product release, open-source publication, sale, offer for sale, demo, or other external sharing may affect available rights. You are solely responsible for promptly consulting qualified intellectual property counsel about any legal or IP issue.