YOUR INVENTOR’S DIARY™

An idea journal from:

InventHelpSM
217 Ninth Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3506
www.inventhelp.com
1-877-372-IDEA (4332)

DISCLAIMER
This book will provide assistance to you in recording developments in your
intellectual property as they occur. Nothing in this book however is
intended to address legal issues with regard to protecting your
intellectual property. For this, you must seek patent advice from an independent
patent attorney. We encourage you to seek such legal advice and we hope
you enjoy using YOUR INVENTOR’S DIARY ™.

© 2005 InventHelpSM 04-011 JR

If you find, please return to:

My Name:

Address:

City-State-Zip:

Telephones: Work:
Home:
Cell/Mobile:

E-Mail: Fax:

Social Security No.

I began this diary on the day of 20

The dates covered in this diary are from to

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 Table of

C ontents
My Inventor’s Diary Beginning Date ii

Guidelines for Using Your Inventor’s Diary™ 1

Example Entry 2

Confidentiality and Non-Use Agreement 4

My Inventor’s Resources 5

Diary Workplace 6-27

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 GUIDELINES FOR USING YOUR INVENTOR’S DIARY™
YOUR INVENTOR’S DIARY™ can be used according to your needs. It can be utilized to document a creative idea for
future development or can be used to document the steps in the development of your ideas as they occur from conception
to completion.

• Write your name, address and phone number somewhere in the book - Page ii is a handy place to do this and
begin using“Your Inventor’s Diary.”

• Sign and date every page as you use it - This could help you establish a track record of your specific invention activities.
Do NOT sign or date ANY pages before using or finishing that page.

• Give your invention a name - A simple, brief description of your invention will do.

• Give an overall description of the invention - Describe the original idea. Give an explanation as to how and why you are
inventing it. State the purpose. Include the possible benefits of the invention.

• Describe the benefits - Explain what problems your invention solves and how it does it better than other products.

• Describe the uses - Explain who can use and the different possible uses.

• Describe how it works - Describe the pieces, how they might be assembled and what they do.

• Make sketches or drawings - Do NOT allow lack of artistic ability to prevent you from drawing pictures. Even simple line
drawings can help you demonstrate your invention, its use and a possible construction. (see example entry page)

• Explain as much as you can about the invention in specific detail - Be as detailed and thorough as you can through
the entire inventing/documenting process.

• Add details to your drawing - You can show details in your drawing by simply drawing an arrow to a specific
part and labeling it (e.g. plastic clamps).

• Record everything - There is no part or thought too small to be included in your documentation.

• If you choose to build a prototype or test your invention, write down the process you follow -- Describe any problems or
successes you have while putting your idea together and testing it. Do not be afraid to document problems in assembly or
design or failures during your tests. These could lead you to improve upon your idea. Most inventors go through a trial
and error process. Thomas Edison produced thousands of inventions that didn’t work. Testing an invention and finding its
faults is a way to minimize this possibility. NOTE: There are NO requirements to build a prototype in order to apply for a
patent or try to market your idea.

• Be careful with whom you share this information - Insist on a signed confidentiality agreement from anyone you plan on
showing this book. Individuals signing a confidentiality agreement agree not to use or disclose the information or details of
your invention to another person or company. You can photocopy the confidentiality agreement included in
this book or create one of your own.

• Have individuals witness, sign and date each page as soon after completion as possible - These witnesses should
know and understand you invention. Remember, have them sign the confidentiality agreement first (see above).

• Do not back date page entries - Back-dating is a dishonest practice. It consists of placing a date on an item (in this case
any writing or drawing of your invention) so that it appears you performed the documented work earlier than you actually
did. It could affect you rights and call into question the date of conception of your idea.

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 NOTE ABOUT DOCUMENTATION AND RECORD KEEPING
Do NOT erase or white out ANYTHING you write in Your Inventors Diary.™ It is just as important
that you do not tear-out or otherwise remove any numbered pages from Your Inventor’s Diary.™

If it is necessary to make a change to text, put parentheses around the items to be deleted and draw a line through it.

Example: (The “The Shower Curtain Clamp” would be made from rubber.)

The “The Shower Curtain Clamp” would be made from plastic or other waterproof material.

You can similarly change drawings by circling or drawing a square around an object and drawing a big “X” through
the area. The big “X” practice should also be used to cover large areas of blank page to show they are not in use and will not
be in use. See example below:

Erasing notations or sketches could raise a question as to whether you simply made an honest mistake, changed your mind or
were trying to change the date of conception or development of your idea.

INVENTION CHECKLIST
By the time you have finished documenting your invention, you will probably have much of the information listed below.
You can use this as a checklist of items for your idea.

Disclose your identity Novel Features/Advantages over similar inventions

Invention Name Uses for your invention

Sign and Date /Witnesses How it works

Description/Purpose Sketch(es)

Benefits Give specific details

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 CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-USE AGREEMENT
Between INVENTOR and REVIEWER concerning PROPRIETARY INFORMATION.

Whereas, INVENTOR, ,located at

has created a new idea, invention, product or process, hereafter termed PROPRIETARY PROPERTY, and is
agreeable to disclosing PROPRIETARY INFORMATION on a confidential basis to REVIEWER, and

Whereas, REVIEWER, , located at

has expressed an interest in receiving and reviewing such PROPRIETARY INFORMATION on a confidential
basis, and REVIEWER may have interest in further developing, manufacturing or marketing such
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION.

In consideration of the mutual promises and undertakings contained herein, and other good and valuable
considerations, it is mutually agreed as follows:

1. REVIEWER agrees to a) maintain and hold confidential, b) not to disclose to others without
INVENTOR’s permission, and c) not to manufacture, sell, or otherwise use except for purposes expressly
agreed to in writing, all PROPRIETARY INFORMATION received from INVENTOR.

2. REVIEWER agrees not to copy, duplicate or disseminate PROPRIETARY INFORMATION without

IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties have executed this agreement on the day of ,20 .

INVENTOR REVIEWER

Name Company Name

Reviewer’s Title

Reviewer’s Name

Date: Date:

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 My Inventor Resources
My inventor assistance resources:

Company:

Contact/s:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Telephone: Fax:

E-mail:

Company:

Contact/s:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Telephone: Fax:

E-mail:

Company:

Contact/s:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Telephone: Fax:

E-mail:

My Patent Attorney:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Telephone: Work: Home: Cell:

Fax#: E-mail:

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Notes:

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