A Guide for Inventors at INL — 2017 5 actions to protect both U.S. and foreign patent rights. Once publicly disclosed, the ability to obtain patent protection may be lost. TD should be informed of any imminent or prior presenta- tions that include a description of the IP so that commercializa- tion options can be evaluated and pursued. Disclosing a new invention to TD is confidential and is not considered a public disclosure under patent law. However, a disclosure to a noncontractor employee may be a public disclo- sure unless there is a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement. A handy rule on public disclosure is: it is fine to tell anyone the benefit or outcomes produced by an invention (nonenabling) but problematic if telling someone, with skill in the art, how the benefit or outcome is achieved. INL’s Intellectual Property Disclosure System (IPDS) is used to report disclosures (https://ipds.inl.gov/). There are two disclo- sure forms available – one for patentable inventions and one for software. The invention/software disclosure record (IDR/SDR) is a confidential detailed description outlining a new innovation and documenting the circumstances of its development. The IDR/SDR also identifies the inventors/authors, potential applications and prospective companies that might be interested in licensing the IP. For more information on IP protection for software, see A Guide for Idaho National Laboratory Authors of Software. Agreements: Areas of Responsibility TD works closely with other programs throughout the technology transfer process, including Contracts Management and IP Legal, which are separate INL organizations. The following provides a list of the division of roles and responsibilities.* Technology Deployment: Responsible for managing IP from cradle to grave, all IP-related contracts (such as license, technology management and income-sharing agreements) and all IP and licensing terms in all INL contracts. Acquisitions and Contracts Management: Responsible for research collaboration agreements used in obtaining INL services by industry, academia, and other government agencies.** IP Legal: Advises on agreements and obtains legal protection of IP as requested byTD. * Other offices involved include Export Compliance, Counterintelligence, and Security. ** TD must concur on all IP-related agreement terms to ensure alignment with deployment strategies. Defining enabling disclosure: any announcement that could be considered enabling (showing someone skilled in the art how to duplicate the invention) is considered public disclosure and could compromise protection. Examples of enabling disclosures include: journal publications, posters, seminars, even discussion with a single person. Enabling disclosures can result in a loss of patent rights. Public display or use and offers for sale can also result in a loss of patent filing rights. Defining inventor: someone who has made an intellectual contribution to the claimed invention. For the purposes of this manual, an inventor includes individuals listed on a patent or conceived of the invention as intended to be claimed. Often, multiple researchers may have contributed to the invention. However, co-authors listed on a publication are not necessarily co-inventors. Co-inventors are those involved in the conception of the novel idea.An employer or person who funds the building or the practice of an invention is not an inventor.