Publish, Present, or Perish: How the Internet and the 'Printed Publication' Baa Affect the Dissemination of Research

摘要

A determination of what is a "printed publication" has been a central question of novelty ever since the 1836 amendment to the patent statute. The advent of the Internet has further complicated the issue by changing the way that information is accessed and disseminated. By providing more vehicles for accessing and disseminating information, the Internet has also increased the possibiility that information becomes available to the public before patent protection is established. Such inadvertent disclosure may often result in loss of patentability.