--- title: "IP Protection - MedTech Roadmap | MedTech Launch Guide" description: "File before you publish, demo, or pitch a stranger. In the US, you have a 12-month grace period after public disclosure to file - most other markets do not. T" lang: en json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "IP Protection - MedTech Roadmap", "description": "In the US, you have a 12-month grace period after public disclosure to file - most other markets do not. Treat any pitch deck, conference poster, or non-NDA conversation as a disclosure event. File a provisional first, then build the full prosecution strategy around your FDA pathway.", "url": "https://medtechlaunchguide.com/roadmap/ip-protection", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://medtechlaunchguide.com/roadmap/ip-protection", "articleSection": "IP Protection", "isPartOf": { "@type": "CollectionPage", "name": "MedTech Founder Roadmap", "url": "https://medtechlaunchguide.com/roadmap" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "MedTech Launch Guide", "url": "https://medtechlaunchguide.com" } } --- [Skip to content](#main) [ MedTech Launch Guide Education Hub for Founders ](/) [Roadmap](/roadmap) [Topics](/topics) Tools [Pulse](/pulse)Search ⌘K[Start Here](/start) Search ⌘K [Roadmap](/roadmap)/ [01 · IP Protection](/roadmap/ip-protection)[02 · Regulatory Pathway](/roadmap/regulatory-pathway)[03 · Clinical Evidence](/roadmap/clinical-evidence)[04 · Reimbursement](/roadmap/reimbursement)[05 · Cybersecurity](/roadmap/cybersecurity)[06 · Business Model](/roadmap/business-model)[07 · Go-To-Market](/roadmap/go-to-market) Step 01 of 7 · Roadmap # IP Protection File before you publish, demo, or pitch a stranger When to start Before any external disclosure - ideally pre-incorporation Duration Provisional: 2–4 weeks · Full PCT strategy: 12–18 months Indicative cost USD 3K (provisional) → 30K+ (utility + PCT national phase) In the US, you have a 12-month grace period after public disclosure to file - most other markets do not. Treat any pitch deck, conference poster, or non-NDA conversation as a disclosure event. File a provisional first, then build the full prosecution strategy around your FDA pathway. ## Why this comes first Investors will not lead a Series A on an asset that competitors can clone. Strategic acquirers value the IP estate more than the revenue. And every founder eventually gives an unguarded demo at a conference - the question is whether a provisional was on file beforehand. ## What to file Most medtech roadmaps include a layered IP estate, not a single patent. - Provisional patent (USPTO) - locks priority date for 12 months at low cost - Utility patent - the core device, method-of-use, and software claims - Design patent - the industrial design (cheap, often overlooked, hard to design around) - PCT application - extends international filing window to ~30 months - Trademark - device name, company name, key software product names - Trade secrets - manufacturing processes, training data, calibration parameters ## How it ties to FDA strategy Method-of-use claims should align to your indication for use statement in the 510(k). If your patent claims a use the FDA hasn't cleared, the claim is unenforceable in commercial settings. Coordinate patent counsel and regulatory counsel from week one. Artifacts to ship - Invention disclosure log (signed and dated) - Provisional patent application (filed) - FTO (freedom-to-operate) opinion before launch - IP assignment agreements from every employee, contractor, and advisor Common pitfalls - Demo'ing at a conference before filing - kills foreign rights immediately - Forgetting IP assignment from a co-founder who later leaves - Filing claims that don't match the IFU you eventually clear with FDA - Ignoring software/algorithm claims because 'it's just code' Primary sources - [USPTO - Patent Basics Primary source ](https://www.uspto.gov/patents/basics) - [USPTO Patent Public Search Prior-art search ](https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/) - [USPTO TEAS (Trademarks) Trademark filing ](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks) - [WIPO PCT System International ](https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/) Start of roadmap [ Next Regulatory Pathway Step 02 · 510(k), De Novo, or PMA - and the Pre-Sub that de-risks each ](/roadmap/regulatory-pathway) MedTech Launch Guide The independent education hub for medtech innovators bringing devices to the US market - paired with a live pulse of what FDA, CMS, CISA and investors are doing right now. 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