A more thorough explanation:

A defensive publication is a type of intellectual property strategy where an inventor or company publishes their invention or innovation in a public forum to prevent others from patenting the same idea. This is done to protect the inventor's rights and prevent others from claiming ownership of the idea.

For example, if a company develops a new software program, they may choose to publish the details of the program in a technical journal or online forum. By doing so, they are making the information available to the public and preventing others from patenting the same idea. This can be a cost-effective way to protect their intellectual property without having to go through the lengthy and expensive process of obtaining a patent.

Another example of a defensive publication is when an inventor publishes their idea in a patent application but chooses not to pursue the patent. By doing so, they are making the information available to the public and preventing others from patenting the same idea.

In summary, a defensive publication is a strategy used to protect intellectual property by making the details of an invention or innovation publicly available to prevent others from patenting the same idea.