I have a great invention, seriously! my problem is I have no money,I am afraid to tell anyone about it. I am afraid someone will come up with the same one. I do not know where or how to do a patent search,or how to make a prototype. I do not know how to get it patented.I do not have the money. I have had people tell me that this is a good idea and they are interested. Everyone I have told without really telling them say that it is a project that would go somewhere, There were a few deaths in the family so I have not talked to anyone about it for a while. There are seminars I could go to. seminars that I have to pay for and like I said I have no money. I have no idea what to do with the tech side, financial, and I think this would market itself easily. I just need protection for now.I believe if it was patented then the rest would fall into place financially through investments.Where do I go. If you can answer this then you deserve many points. This makes me sick just thinking about it.
2007-12-30 05:00:25 · 5 answers · asked by joyc 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
The thing is, you will need money. For protection, patent it. If you cannot afford to patent it, draw up the plans and have them notarized for now. It is not nearly as good at a patent but it is something.
Now make some money, stop hanging out on the internet and do something that will make enough money to build a prototype and pay for a patent search.
>>I have had people tell me that this is a good idea and they are interested. Everyone I have told without really telling them say that it is a project that would go somewhere.
But not good enough for them to invest in it?
>>There are seminars I could go to. seminars that I have to pay for and like I said I have no money.
You mean those seminars where you pay them. Bad idea!
>>I have no idea what to do with the tech side...
You had better know the tech side, it is your invention!
>>I think this would market itself easily.
Dream on, nothing markets itself.
2007-12-30 09:11:46 · answer #1 · answered by Feeling Mutual 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Goggle "Invention", Invention protection....
Type a complete history of your invention, how you got the idea, etc then write a complete description of your idea then have it notarized. Notaries usually don't charge more than $5.00 Some do it for nothing. I have notaries here that notarise documents for me all the time because I am a Realtor.
There are two ways to write a description of your invention: extremely detailed, or very vague. The latter is the best. If you write a detailed description, all a competitor has to do is make a minor change and he can steal it from you.
Are you in the State Capitol of your state? Here in Little Rock, AR we have a federal duplicate of the patent office in Washington DC. If I had an invention idea, I could go to the state library for the blind, right upstairs from the Dept. of Parks and Tourism and there in a 20 square foot space would be a duplicate of the complete US Patent Office. The last time I went there three years ago, there were two college guys who didn't know a thing about how to research a patent. I figured out some of it then contacted a patent attorney. She told me that the charges back then were about $3,000. I asked her if that was for the patent search. She said, "No, that's an incidental expense. We do the whole thing with computers and don't even charge for it. Most of our cost is for the writing and filing of the application." I became discouraged and dropped it. Had I pursued it, I would have given them a notarized copy of my idea, another copy to my best friend, another copy in a locked safe deposit box in a bank, and then, since I didn't have any money, I would have knocked on doors of some of the wealthiest men in town that I know of, not personally, to seek a fianacier.
There's a lot more stuff that I'll beglad to share with you if you will write giving me a little bit more info about where you live, your age, etc.
Jack...CrG
2007-12-30 05:39:27 · answer #2 · answered by CrG 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might be best if you started with a patent law firm. The lawyers in even a small patent law firm have a good understanding of what you will need to do and how much time and money it may costs you to obtain a patent, which is the key to unlocking your invention's profitability.
In addition, many patent lawyers have connections to investors who are looking for projects like yours in which they can invest. You may or may not want to form a partnership with one or more investors, but it may become your most viable option if your invention is as promising as you think it may be.
You should document the stages of work that led to your invention in your computer so that you can prove that it was invented by you on or before a certain date. Just in case that ever becomes a sticking point.
The only other suggestion I would have is for you to contact any major research university in your vicinity and see if they have entrepreneurial/business/legal resources that you could tap for assistance.
2007-12-30 05:14:05 · answer #3 · answered by TK 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A great resource to go to is www.gosmallbiz.com. They will not steal your idea, in fact, they have a contest going on right now for the best ideas. There are free areas with FAQ's and info. To get a specific answer back to you, you may need to join. You can only do that thru another member, so you will need to contact me if you can't find what you are looking for in the free section.
2007-12-30 06:41:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
interior the U.S.: you do no longer prefer a prototype to get a patent. the two varieties are application patents and layout patents. you prefer a application patent, no longer a layout patent. you could the two do it your self (much less costly, yet you need to no longer do it properly) or use a patent criminal expert (extra high priced, yet must be speedier).
2016-11-26 20:57:15 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋