2006-10-13 06:55:15 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
You don't copyright inventions, you patent them. you copyright forms of expression: books, music, art...
You can't patent an 'idea'. you have to have something pretty much reduced to practice before you can patent it.
getting a patent can be costly. it is possible to do it yourself, but you may want to hire a patent attorney (but they can be expensive as well).
goto http://www.uspto.gov
EDIT - poster below - the poor man's copyright doesn't work anymore. fraud is just too easy
2006-10-13 06:56:40 · answer #1 · answered by BigD 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Copyrights are protected as soon as you've written them down. You can register them for greater protection...but a poor man's copyright is to mail yourself a certified letter (that you leave unopened) in order to prove the date you thought of the idea.
To protect an invention, you need to apply for a patent.
2006-10-13 13:59:50 · answer #2 · answered by Brand X 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you invint something and you know you don't want anyone to copy off of you then you know to copyright your stuff.
2006-10-13 14:00:30 · answer #3 · answered by Tia J. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
called the US patent office.
2006-10-13 13:57:33 · answer #4 · answered by cork 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋