“When Does ‘Invention’ Happen? Inventorship and Conception of an Invention,” John J. Cunniff, Esq.

John J. Cunniff

The recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in University of Pittsburgh v. Hedrick provides a further explanation of the dividing line between the “conception” of an invention, and its “reduction to practice.” While the holding in this matter is not necessarily surprising, the unusual facts of the case provide a more detailed distinction between these two concepts than has previously been made.