11.   And it has plans to allow inventors to file patent applications electronically.

12.   And they say that some information, like materials submitted with patent applications for design, does not reproduce well.

13.   And until last year, inventors could rely on the Patent and Trademark Office to keep a patent application secret until it was granted.

14.   And while a trade secret can remain an enigma, a patent application requires the inventor to describe exactly how his invention works.

15.   Are we doing a great job at keeping up with a tremendous increase in the number and complexity of patent applications?

16.   At that meeting, Tackbary demonstrated a prototype system and told company officials she had filed for a patent application.

17.   Barr and Novopharm countered that a valid patent application must await a further step -- testing to see whether the idea works in practice.

18.   Beyond that, no one at Microsoft will say exactly how ClearType works because the company is still completing its patent application.

19.   Beyer and Potrykus started writing up a patent application.

20.   A step-by-step look at what it takes for an inventor to get a patent application approved.