What if I just want to keep doing my research and not disclose it?
As mentioned above, if your research is funded by the federal government or other entities, you may already be committed to disclose any inventions. Funding agencies want to make sure that if they fund a project and something is discovered, it will be put to use. This is not only a benefit to society, but also a return on their research investment. In the United States, compliance with innovation is covered by the Bayh-Dole Act. If a researcher continually refuses or fails to disclose inventions or participate in the commercialization process and the funding agency finds out, it may lead to the government restricting funding to that researcher (and potentially the institution as a whole).