Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: 32rambod on 29/03/2019 14:23:30
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I made a theory that completes special relativity about time traveling. But I wonder how should I patent and submit it?
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If you are in the US, then the USPTO is the place to submit patents: https://www.uspto.gov/
I would warn you that there are limitations on what can be patented though (ie you cannot patent an equation or a business model, or a perpetual motion machine).
It is possible to patent something that you have not yet made, but it is much easier if you have a prototype or proof of concept that allows you to establish the parameters of what you try to protect.
If your theory is purely theoretical, and you yourself (or people in general) can't actually make something that directly makes use of it, perhaps trying to publish in a scientific paper would be a better avenue.
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The essence of a patent is that it describes a way of doing something. Every patent includes the phrase "means by which..." "device for...." or words to that effect. So you can in principle patent an algorithm (though most such applications are rejected as "obvious") or a design for a machine or process that you may or may not have actually built, but not a theory or hypothesis.
If you have an underlying theory that explains time travel, you could incorporate it in a patent for "means to influence the present state of a system by retrospectively altering a past action", but it would be unwise to do so.
The problem is that a patent is a gamble. You receive statutory monopoly of your invention by making a full public disclosure of the said means, such that "a person skilled in the art" could replicate it. That way, and only that way, a court can decide whether someone has copied your invention, and demand restitution.
Now if you can apply your theory, either so as to predict the outcome of a future event or so as to modify the outcome of a past event, you can break every bookmaker, casino, or stock market. You wouldn't want me to do that, even if you don't want to do it yourself, so to prevent a person "skilled in the art" (and I do know quite a bit about applied physics) from destroying society, you must not patent your method. I'm not worried about any court case - more than happy to give you 90% of my winnings in settlement, and you'd be foolish to refuse.