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<h2 id="some-types-of-evidence">Some types of evidence</h2> <p>In addition to an <a href="/facts/Inventor%2527s_notebook/kCdGb6yY">inventor's notebook</a>, several additional kinds of evidence can be used to establish an earlier priority date. </p> <h3>Disclosure Document Program</h3> <p>The Disclosure Document Program (DDP) was a USPTO program that allowed an inventor to file a preliminary description of his/her invention. The program was discontinued by the USPTO as of February 1, 2007, in favor of filing a <a href="/facts/Provisional_application/MlzgBWLW">provisional application</a>. The USPTO says: </p> <blockquote><p>A provisional application for patent provides more benefits and protections to inventors than a disclosure document and can be used for the same purposes as a disclosure document if necessary. ... A non-provisional application must be filed within twelve months of the filing date of a provisional patent in order for the inventor to claim the benefit of the provisional application. ...<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></p></blockquote> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>MPEP § 715 <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s715.html" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s715.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>MPEP § 2138.05 <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2138.html#d0e207753" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2138.html#d0e207753</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>MPEP § 2138.04 <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2138.html#d0e207607" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2138.html#d0e207607</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>USPTO Website <a href="http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/disdo.html" target="_blank">http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/disdo.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>