Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Technical Disclosure Commons?
- What are the benefits of using Technical Disclosure Commons?
- How are publication dates assigned to Technical Disclosure publications?
- Who is the publisher of Technical Disclosure Commons?
- How much does it cost to join Technical Disclosure Commons?
- Can I enter “Anonymous” as the Inventor instead of my own name?
- When will my submission be posted?
- My submission required some revisions and I have made the requested changes. When will my submission be posted?
- How to submit a defensive publication on Technical Disclosure Commons?
- What is Technical Disclosure Commons (TDCommons)?
TDCommons is a site that hosts technical disclosures from various companies and individuals. Many of these technical disclosures are defensive publications, published for the specific purpose of preventing subsequent patenting of those ideas. Defensive publications can boost patent quality by creating prior art that prevents issuance of overly broad or obvious patents.
- What are the benefits of using Technical Disclosure Commons?
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- Free to publish. Cost does not have to be a factor when making defensive publication decisions.
- Free to search. Anyone can search for publications on TDCommons - no subscription required.
- Accessible through any search tool. The entire repository can be indexed and served using any search tool, including Google Patents, making it easier for patent examiners and the public to find TD Commons publications.
- How are publication dates assigned to Technical Disclosure publications?
The website automatically generates a publication date reflecting the date the submission was uploaded to TDCommons. This date appears on the site for the submission and also on the front page of the PDF of the submission.
- Who is the publisher of Technical Disclosure Commons?
The website is operated by bepress at the request of Google, Inc.
- How much does it cost to join Technical Disclosure Commons?
Nothing! TDCommons is free to use.
- Can I enter “Anonymous” as the Inventor instead of my own name?
Yes, however, know that you will not be able to search for your submission by “author name” after it is posted. If searching by author name is important, you should provide the inventor name(s). If you submit as Anonymous, you must still include an e-mail address for contact.
- When will my submission be posted?
If no revisions are required, allow up to 72 hours for the submission to be posted.
- My submission required some revisions and I have made the requested changes. When will my submission be posted?
If no additional revisions are required, allow up to 72 hours for the submission to be posted.
- How can a defensive publication be submitted to Technical Disclosure Commons?
Get started by selecting the Submit a Defensive Publication link on the right hand side of the website as highlighted below.
An account needs to be created before a submission can be uploaded. Create an account by selecting the sign up link highlighted below.
