IP readiness checklist

[ ] I have written the idea down with dates (lab notebook, signed and witnessed, or a dated document)
[ ] I have not published, presented, posted or sold it — or I know exactly when I did
[ ] I know who contributed what, and we agree on it
[ ] I know whether my institution or employer has a claim under a policy, agreement or grant
[ ] I have run a basic search on Espacenet, Google Patents and Google Scholar and logged it
[ ] I have a one-page disclosure ready (use the template)
[ ] I know which kind of protection fits: patent, design, trade mark, copyright, trade secret, or none
[ ] I know the first deadline that applies to me (provisional to complete: 12 months; priority abroad: 12 months for patents, 6 for designs and marks)
[ ] I have an NDA ready before sharing details with any outside party
[ ] I know what happens next: prototype, test, file, or seek a partner