system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What stops people in the patent office fron rejecting an idea and patenting it for themselves?
gpt
If they patent it themselves, aside from the difficulties they would have in explaining it to others or higher ups at the office, the original claimant can present his receipt and dated file that shows exactly how and when he came up with the idea, the implementation, and the submission date/time. 

These two would be more than enough for the immediate firing of that clerk.