>1. Can I submit a patent application, after submitting IETF draft ? The answer depends on what country you're talking about. In the United States, there is usually a one-year grace period, in other countries there may not be. (But keep in mind that the IETF mailing list is not a reliable source of legal advice.) >2. Which of the three options would you choose, in my position? I would disclose the invention and forget about the patent. Getting a patent is expensive, thousands of dollars in each country where you file, and despite the hopes of inventors most patents turn out to have no value. R's, John