LOC IPMM Invention Disclosure Schema

Purpose of this standard:  Any compliant software application can read any compliant invention disclosure.

How it works:  Any compliant application can create an invention disclosure, in the form of an XML document, that conforms to the standard's structure and data definitions.  The structure and data definitions are set forth in the schemas published at this site.

Reason for this standard:  If any application needs to import and understand an invention disclosure from another application, this is the only standard format for doing so.  Some likely scenarios for doing do include:

  • An inventor submits a disclosure to a corporate patent committee;
  • A remote campus submits a disclosure to a university technology manager;
  • A contractor notifies a hiring company re project innovations;
  • An IP owner sends a disclosure to a patent law firm for prep & pros;
  • A user implements new software and needs to transfer disclosure data from existing software;
  • An IP owner provides disclosures for VC, M&A, licensing or other due diligence;
  • An analytics engine needs to ingest disclosures in a standard format to train and test models.

Does this standard define a specific invention disclosure form?  No.  The standard provides a structure and definitions for data elements used in an electronic invention disclosure.  The software developer or the user defines how the form or data entry screen appears.

Does this standard require data that I may not need?  Unlikely.  The standard does include a very limited number of required data elements.  All comments received suggest that these elements are universally required.

Does this standard limit the data that can be collected?  No.  First, most persons reviewing the standard have indicated that it covers all their needs.  Second, the standard provides various means of adding custom data elements.  However, compliant software cannot implement custom elements if an element defined in the standard already covers that need.  Further, vendors claiming compliance must submit details of custom elements to the subcommittee for potential integration into the standard.

How do I know if the standard meets my needs?  Cross-check your current invention disclosure form (and a list of any additional data you want to collect) against the IPMM data elements spreadsheet.  If your needs are not met, please send details to the IPMM subcommittee for future revision.

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In August, 2015 the LEDES Oversight Committee ratified the Intellectual Property Matter Management (IPMM)  invention disclosure schemas.

In January, 2016 an update to the schema was issued, identified as version 1.01.

  • An introductory video is available here.
  • An End User FAQ is available here.
  • Guidance regarding the minimum data required for a LEDES Disclosure is available here.  
  • Technical documentation regarding the LEDES Disclosure schema set is available for download here
  • IPMM Element Description is available here.

An implementation conforms to the LEDES IPMM invention disclosure standard if the implementation meets the following criteria.

  1. The implementation must be able to produce a LEDES Disclosure.
  2. The implementation must be able to read a LEDES Disclosure.
  3. The implementation must not reject a LEDES Disclosure.
  4. The implementation must not use a proprietary element if an element defined in the LEDES schemas can be used.

A "LEDES Disclosure" is an XML document that: (i) is well-formed as defined by the latest W3C recommendation and (ii) validates without error against the latest LEDES IPMM disclosure schema.

In order to continuously improve the standard and to facilitate interoperability, any person implementing the LEDES IPMM invention disclosure standard agrees, in consideration of the LOC's permission to use the standard, to disclose to the IPMM subcommittee any proprietary extensions and limitations and permit the LOC to integrate such extensions and limitations into the LEDES schemas for use by the public free of charge.

Schema Included in this Standard:

  • L_Disclosure (XSD) Ver 1.01,16 January 2016.  This schema is the root or umbrella schema. This schema's disclosure element incorporates elements, types and attributes further defined in the below schemas
    • L_Concept (XSD) Ver 1.01,16 January 2016 This schema defines data commonly found in an invention disclosure document. These definitions are used by the disclosure schema. This concept schema incorporates elements, types and attributes further defined in the below schemas.

[Note:  It may not be possible to double-click and open the XSD file without having an XML editor.  There is not an error on this file.  XSD files can be viewed in most newer browsers which have integrated XML processors that provide good visualization of XML and XSD files.  If your browser does not open the files, XSD and XML files are also easily viewed using an XML editor.  XSD files are actually text files and can be viewed in text editors (e.g., Notepad) or word processors (e.g., Word) however the visualization is not as good as in a browser or XML editor.]

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Download a Zip file containing Schema Documents

Articles on the IPMM Invention Disclosure Schema