In the US, you can file a provisional patent which will lock-in the filing date for up to one year. http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/types/provapp.jsp htt

In the US, you can file a provisional patent which will lock-in the filing date for up to one year. http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/types/provapp.jsp http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/types/provapp.jsp There is also a backlog for patents in certain technologies, so after you file, you may have to wait for a several years before you need to "prosecute" the patent.