NOTEBOOK, WHAT NOTEBOOK?

I would have to agree with Navigating the Patent Maze's musings that scientists typically don't do all that great a job of keeping and witnessing laboratory notebooks.  In fact, I have spent numerous meetings arguing and running down every single argument why someone (1) should keep a lab notebook, (2) witness the pages regularly, and (3) use the notebook as a journal to keep a record of all research -- good, bad or indifferent.

Now - we all have some ammunition to support our arguments:  Huang v. California Institute of Technology.   In Huang the court found that Dr. Huang's laboratory notebooks were inconsistent and unreliable and thus there was no supporting evidence for Dr. Huang's inventorship claim. 

So - yes, put it all in there, let it all hang out, make it so ..... us patent attorneys really do like to read about the ^$#%%#&^#^ mice that wouldn't procreate correctly or why your gels ooze the way they do.  It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that your inventorship status is well protected and we can prove conception and reduction to practice in a meaningful and, more importantly, supportable manner.

Thanks again to Navigating the Patent Maze for the heads up!