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From: Simian on 2 Jan 2010 17:03
Champ wrote:

> I've had an idea that I think is worth something. The only people who
> could implement this idea are a small number of multinational
> corporations, so I think the only way I could get some money for the
> idea would be to sell it to one of them.
>
> Does anyone know how I might go about protecting the idea, while I try
> and flog it? I assume that a patent is the proper way to do it, but I
> don't know how involved it is to get one - has anyone got any
> experience of filing a patent?

Yes - really long winded and expensive, if you want to do it properly.


> I've heard of other ways of protection intellectual property - you
> write it down and post it to yourself (registered delivery). Does
> this actually work, or is it an urban myth?

Only suitable for 'proof' of copyright. Doing the above doesn't even
stop someone else patenting it, as it's not been published.


The best you can do on the cheap is draw up an NDA (or similar) which
says that whoever you show the idea will not tell anyone else about it,
and assures you of ownership of the idea.

This means that the idea can still be patented (because of the
confidentiality bit) and they cannot legally use the idea without your
agreement.

Unfortunately, large companies have far greater resources than you, so
they'd essentially be at liberty to completely ignore anything they
sign. The only way around that is to sell the idea to at least one
company...

From: geoff on 2 Jan 2010 19:22
In message <7q9hnvF790U7(a)mid.individual.net>, Adrian
<toomany2cvs(a)gmail.com> writes
>Champ <news(a)champ.org.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
>saying:
>
>>>You want to try to sue a multinational corporation? Feel free. I bet
>>>their legal budget's bigger than yours...
>
>> I guess this would only come to an issue if they behaved 'dishonorably'
>
>Mmmm. What's the chances, eh?
>
>> - if they listened to my idea, said "no thanks", and then went and did
>> it anyway. And, as you say, I might find it hard to deal with that.
>
>They've got three possible responses.
>
>1. Decide your idea is a pile of shite, and they don't want to know.
>2. Decide your idea is a go-er and...
> a. pay you so much you can retire in splendour.
> b. tell you it's a pile of shite, then do it anyway.
>
>Clearly, only one of those is good for you. So what do _you_ think the
>chances of 2a actually happening are? Yeh, me neither.


Just happened with my brother

�7000 / month from British Aerospace for the idea he took to them

not a fortune, but enough to let you earn that fortune in comfort

--
geoff
From: dazlewis on 3 Jan 2010 04:44
On 2 Jan, 20:32, ginge <the.gingeREM...(a)THISgmail.com> wrote:
> Before you invest a significant amount of personal time in it, make
> sure there's not a clause in your employment contract that gives them
> claim to your inventions whilst in their employ.
>
> With mine there is, but work also pay a one off lump sum for anything
> sucessfully patented and use their own lawyers to do the legwork.- Hide quoted text -

If there is nothing in your contract about ownership of inventions
then the employer would still own the invention anyway (assuming it is
an invention that you might have been expected to make in the course
of your normal employment duties - e.g if you're employed as an audio
electronics research enigineer a new amplifier design will belong to
your employer (even if you made the invention at home) whereas a new
spinning jenny design would beliong to you (even if you made the
invention at work)).

In fact anything in your contract about ownership of inventions can
only help you or at worst make no odds. This is because anything in
the contreact that purports to reduce your statutory rights as regards
ownership is not enforceable.

good luck with it whatever it is.
From: Lozzo on 3 Jan 2010 05:02
dazlewis wrote:

> good luck with it whatever it is.

Hi Daz, long time no see. Happy new year to you.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer, CBR600F-W racebike in the making, SR250 SpazzTrakka,
TS250C, RD400F (somewhere)
Garage clearout - Yamaha SpazzTrakka 250 for sale, email for details
From: Buzby on 3 Jan 2010 06:57
Cane wrote:

> On 2 Jan, 18:04, Champ <n...(a)champ.org.uk> wrote:
> > I've had an idea that I think is worth something. �The only people
> > who could implement this idea are a small number of multinational
> > corporations, so I think the only way I could get some money for the
> > idea would be to sell it to one of them.
> >
> > Does anyone know how I might go about protecting the idea, while I
> > try and flog it? �I assume that a patent is the proper way to do
> > it, but I don't know how involved it is to get one - has anyone got
> > any experience of filing a patent?
> >
> > I've heard of other ways of protection intellectual property - you
> > write it down and post it to yourself (registered delivery). �Does
> > this actually work, or is it an urban myth?
> >
> > Thanks in advance
>
> A patent can cost a lot of money. If I were you I'd speak to these
> people first: http://acid.eu.com/

Bookmarked. Very useful.

Trevor Bayliss also has an inventor service
http://www.trevorbaylisbrands.com/ - I have an idea that I'm toying
with and will probably end up passing over to them for evaluation as
they've been down this route time and time again.

--
Buzby
"There's nothing more dangerous than a resourceful idiot"
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