Does this mean if I disclose an invention, that nobody can patent it after a year?
This is my explicit reason for writing about BitGrid out in the open, since 2004.[1]
If it turns out to be useful, that's awesome. If not, it's been a fun mud ball to polish.[2]
Others can. But during their application who is going to tell that there is a prior art? Patent offices only do basic checks on existing patents and not on the wider internet.
Once the others get their patent, you can appeal [1] it.
[1] I am not sure its the right word
You can challenge the patent at the USPTO to instigate an in partes review.
You can also raise a defense of 'the patent is invalid' if the patent owner tries to sue you.
i.e. if you disclose your IP publicly, there is zero protection from getting scooped by competitors and trolls. If you NDA more than 17 entities, than it becomes public domain in some countries.
Patent-pending status is somewhat of a more economical tool, and buys time to entrench a manufacturing product line in a market. A fully complete patent is only useful for litigation and customs enforcement... and can't be revised to cover sleazy IP workarounds.
We only won about 4 out of 7 international scope patents I drafted, so YMMV. =3