As we mentioned before, it is important to research your idea to see if another inventor has had the same idea. To be patentable, your idea must pass the first patent test: it must be novel.
As you learn more about patents, you'll see the words "prior art" linked to patentability. Prior art is any information made available publicly before you came up with the idea for your invention. That's why researching your solution is a key step before you pursue a patent. If you find parts of your idea already mentioned on the web, in magazines, papers, etc., that is prior art and those parts of your invention will not pass patentability test #1.
Next tip:
What is a priority date?
