I've had an idea in my head for inventing something for about 10 years, where do I go from here?

Answer 1

It is a nightmare. I read, hot off the press about a guy who had a device that would prevent you from getting an electrical shock.
The electronics would cost $7.99. He had his daughter in a bathtub
at trade shows, and threw in a live toaster. Clear demonstration that it worked. Then , 15 years later the device shows up as a circuit breaker at $250. Now, 30 years later it is in every bathroom plug at $7.99 The BS he went through in 30 years is.... typical.
Do not go to these "INVENTORS Inc." we will get your invention
manufactured and distributed rip off places - they just want money for 'marketing studies' 'feasability comparisons to other products in that category' copywriting fees, 'patent studies' patent applications' registering and trademark studies' .. trademark applications', corporation lists of probable interested investors/ partnerships' etc.etc. and lawyers and marketers and secretaries and staff and and and will all be happy to take your money, but you won't ever see your invention go anywhere...
My advice is to quietly MAKE ONE. perfect it. Do your homework - you can give it a name, patent it, copywrite and and trademark - yourself. Quietly. There is a danger in patenting it in
some countries like Japan, for example, since the laws there require that all APPLIED FOR patents be shown to the public for 7 years before they are finalized ( looky here at what I got ?)
You may even be better off not to patent etc. until you really have the device up and running and ready to go.
Get you device out there, ( wal mart, target, Kmart ), saturate the
market, and dont worry too much about the legal BS of others 'stealing' or copying and all the paranoia.... it will happen no matter what you do, so getting out big and fast is more important than spending 25 years trying to deal with legaleeze in 25 different
countries, and the 258 lawyers needed in each country to do the paperwork ( $ $ $ $ $ ).
Do your homework. I know hundreds of horror stories.... The device should sell itself. Once you get a device working and
are happy with it, when you do decide to act, have everything prepared, and MOVE FAST...
Good luck.

ADDENDUM

In the time I took to type my answer there were 25 above...
a lot which state to see a patent attorney... choke, sputter...
I worked as part of a team on a number of inventions - we had
graphic artists for design and presentations, and technicians and engineers etc. ... We, on one device, went to a BIG patent attorney since we knew we had a good idea. We signed an agreement to patent in 15 countries, for a set price. At the end of
a YEAR or so, when the device was to be patented, we started getting bills - We called - what are these for? - Patent submissions... " But we thought they were patented?" " THE patents are ""MADE"", but now they have to be FILED" ( At $250 each plus plus plus ") We said, cease immediately.... and got a bill for $250, again, so we called.... "What is this for? " Telephone consultation " ( when we called to ask what the other bill was for),
YOU GUESSED it, another $250 bill for the last call asking what the
$250 bill was the last time....
And you WANT to deal with these people ?
Hey, my cousin " SPIKE the Knife" will do you faster and cleaner
for only half the price....
This guy was a huge, internationally known guy with lots of big clients and lots of advertising.... I would ask other clients quietly
and do your homework before signing anything...

Oh, and .... we sent out an early prototype ( plastic ) for production cost estimates to Hong Kong. In North America it was
6 to 8 months to make the molds and $6000 . We got back our
prototype from Hong Kong in about 2 1/2 months, with an estimate of $600 for the molds, and 6 weeks to production. A month later, we saw out product in a STORE, manufactured in
Hong Kong for a British ( London England ) corporation !

I can give a hundred other real adventures in " INVENTING "...
none of them particularly inspiring, so DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
You are probably better off to spend more time navigating the
" INDUSTRY " of inventing, and less time on other aspects which might appear " traditional, like get a lawyer, get a marketing co. etc. ..

Answer 2

Depending on what it is, I'd contact a reputable patent attorney.

I would also get the idea out of my head and on paper. Do your research as well. What problem is this fixing? Is there anything remotely similar to it already in production? How receptive is that particular market to new ideas?

You can search through patents as well.

Then, how cost effective is it to make your invention?

There are those late night informercials that tell you to call if you have inventions, but they can be pushy. Watch your wallet. There is nothing they can do for you that you cannot necessarily do yourself.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

depends on what your invention is...you can have an engineering student draw up some preliminary sketches on your idea and you would take it to a smaller mfg company that works in the area you are interested in. you would pay them for a prototype and take it around to have someone purchase your idea or give you an idea of the cost per unit...from there you can determine a selling price based on the margin you need to make and go from there.

Answer 4

Before you tell anyone draw out as much detail as you can and post it to your self by rec del.(first having posted it with the new size weight calc!)
Now you have 2 choices you can get a patent agent to search for you (£400 approx)
or get a venture capital out fit involved who will sign a conf. agreement so that they can not steal your idea. (Radford Venture Capital Ltd 01530 830870)
Do not let the idea in to the public domain! not even mates.
Find a way to fund the product start a company or sell the idea to the highest bidder!!!!!1
Easy!!
Mark Radford

Answer 5

at first, patent your formula in case you haven't any longer already. sixteen years is countless paintings, and you certainly do no longer % somebody producing the same paintings and profiting off your investment of time. If this is as good as you assert it somewhat is, you're able to evaluate merchandising the formula to a company...yet try this once you have patented your paintings. might I pay greater? If this is as helpful as Raid, consistent with danger. i don't have pets or teenagers, so i do no longer concern appropriate to the toxicity lots. consistent with danger I might desire to..B after all, in case you may teach your product is as helpful as greater poisonous commercial manufacturers, you're able to evaluate merchandising and marketing it to a greater enterprise who can sell it for you. Get the patent.

Answer 6

Make sure you keep a clear record of all the details and the dates. If it's serious, you can go to an attorney who specializes in intellectual property and ask him/her to do a patent search for you. Do not share all of the little details with this attorney, as they could try to steal it from you.

Answer 7

The first thing I'd do is get as much information together as I could (prototype, blueprints, etc...). Then I'd get together with a patent attorney and let them guide the process.

Or, you could call the attorney first and see what all is required.

Answer 8

If you have really wasted 10 long years simply sitting over your brilliant idea, I am afraid, you are not going to go anywhere.

Only people with fire in their belly and spark in their head have ever succeeded.

Answer 9

Whatever you do, patent it if you can. Also, before discussing the idea with anyone, ensure that you have them sign a confidentiality document of some sort.

Answer 10

Patent it first. If your product is through, contact manufacturers &marketeers, of similar products. Then make a deal, with one who is interested. If you are, yourself, financially & technically sound, you can try your own hand. Which is best.