An invention is new it does not form part of the state of the art.

The state of the art is a term for all available technical knowledge that is known to the public. Examples of this is written text, video or public speech. In order for a published invention to hinder the patentability of a given invention, the publication must be detailed enough to teach a person skilled in the art how to reproduce the invention. In principle prior art searches will be limited to scientific literature and other closely related patents because this is typically where one finds such detailed descriptions of inventions which can destroy novelty.

Patent databases are usually searched to asses whether an invention has novelty. There are a variety for free databases such as the ones linked to here at The Patent School.

In some countries you can obtain a patent even if you have made a disclosure of the invention, but in most places this will not be possible.

We recommend that you contact VALUA before disclosing your invention to others, to ensure the best opportunities to protect the invention through patenting.