how to develop an idea?

[VJ]

Hello,

I have a serious question (yep, in The Lounge), but it doesn't fit elsewhere... I believe the topic came up some years ago, but can't seem to find it...

Suppose you have an idea for a useful tool (a simple, mechanical thingy), you can't find anything similar on the market and think there might be a market for it...
How do you develop it?

i.e. Do you just walk up to a candidate manufacturer with the drawings? Or with a prototype (what if you need help to make this prototype) ? Or do you file a patent? ....?


Thanks!


Jörg

[Wombat]

If you just walked up to somebody and disclosed it to them, then you're hosed. You could no longer patent it at that point. I won't say much more about EU rules, I know American patent law better.

[Gurm]

You must patent it. In fact, if the tool does not yet exist, patent it IMMEDIATELY.

This serves two purposes.

1. Protects you in case someone else swipes the idea.

2. Patents are cool!

[KvHagedorn]

Unless you have millions to develop it yourself, sit on it and tell no one. Forget you thought of it. If you leak it, some megacorp will steal your ideas and make millions, then have you killed to cover up the crime.

[Gurm]

Well KvH has one valid point, at least - you need to document that you thought of the idea. Doodles, notes, anything - it's part of the patent process, to determine when you thought of it.

[Wombat]

Well KvH has one valid point, at least - you need to document that you thought of the idea. Doodles, notes, anything - it's part of the patent process, to determine when you thought of it.

Yes, it's part of the process, but less important in Europe. They're first to discover, the US is first to invent.

[Umfriend]

VJ, contact a lawyer. There are many out there specialising in different kinds of IP.

Otherwise, tell me the idea and forget about it. I'll reming you when I pass by in my 400ft yaught.

[VJ]

Gurm: Guess I'll start making some notes and drawings then...
KvH:
Umfriend: While I think there is a market, I feel it will be limited (it is quite a specialized thingy).


Jörg

[dbdg]

Umfriend: While I think there is a market, I feel it will be limited (it is quite a specialized thingy).
Jörg

That just means you can make the item expensive.

[Umfriend]

Are you able to create a prototype that at least shows what and who it is supoosed to operate?

The world is a big place and specialised tools which offer an advantage over what is currently available may yield substantial margins. I'm pretty sure some IP-lawyer would be willing to roughly discuss how to go about in 30 to 60 minutes for free. There may well be other ways too. I think there is some sort of "inventors club" in the Netherlands and there may be one in Belgium as well that you could contact.

The WWW has plenty of info on this as well I'd venture.

It's hard to advise better without having an inkling what it is about, and most liekly, even if I did I'd not be able to help you out better.

[Umfriend]

I don't know these guys, don't know anythign about these things, but you could give them a call:

http://www.allesoveroctrooi.nl/

Sometimes, google is your friend.

[VJ]

dbdg:

Are you able to create a prototype that at least shows what and who it is supoosed to operate?

I'm not sure... I'll have to try it, but as it is all mechanical, it could well be possible.

The world is a big place and specialised tools which offer an advantage over what is currently available may yield substantial margins.

Well, the alternative (the way it is currently done) works, but is much less comfortable.

I'm pretty sure some IP-lawyer would be willing to roughly discuss how to go about in 30 to 60 minutes for free. There may well be other ways too. I think there is some sort of "inventors club" in the Netherlands and there may be one in Belgium as well that you could contact.

Yes, I could try that... (but then I'd at least want my drawings)

It's hard to advise better without having an inkling what it is about, and most liekly, even if I did I'd not be able to help you out better.

Quit trying to find out my idea!


Jörg

[VJ]

Euhm, just to be sure: how do I find out if nobody patented this idea before me?



Jörg

[Umfriend]

Quit trying to find out my idea!

Am I that transparent?

Well, the alternative (the way it is currently done) works, but is much less comfortable.

dbdg is right (I basically tried to say the same thing). So that either means (I guess) your idea can safe time or produce better results.

Euhm, just to be sure: how do I find out if nobody patented this idea before me?

I would venture that guys like the link I gave you above would check for that and possibly even be able to suggest "changes" so that your idea becomes unique.

Just give them a call. You don't have to divulge anything about your idea just yet, just let them talk and explain how it works. Do that with a few similar orgs and then decide whether and if so how to move forward.

[schmosef]

Just be careful about whom you deal with on this. There's a big scam industry over here with European based companies that claim to specialise in both the patent application process and then the process of submitting your patent to industry (ie., getting someone to make it and pay you royalties).

What these companies claim to do is give you a free, confidential "assesment" of your idea, including a patent search, then charge you a modest fee if you deem your idea worthy of development. Sure enough, all ideas are magically worthy of further development. They do a credit check on you to see how much money you can get your hands on and also magically, their fees end up being exactly that same amount. And they don't actually do anything for you except make a bunch of empty promises.

There was a Canadian News Magazine show that recently investigated one company by submiting an idea that they knew was already patented. The journalist was immediately contacted and told that his idea could make millions and that he had to send them money to do a formal market analysis report. When he confronted them with the pre-existing patent, they just said it was a mistake...