The only reason to withhold information due to pat

The only reason to withhold information due to patents is if they have not yet been applied for. Unless your applied for patent is fraudulent you have protection. Just label your product "Patent Pending". If you have not yet applied for your patent it means you don't have a product worth protecting and you are still in R & D. Using Patents as an excuse is just another way of saying "we are looking for new investors to finance another 10 years of piddling around in the shop".