Intellectual property or patent?

[jackdetect]

If somebody developed some quite different metal detector or coil design, what can be possible approach, to protect such idea?
Naturally, first step will be to make prototypes, tested them, and make sure that it is good. But then what?
He must, on some way, put it in public, if he whish to find serious manufacturer interested for buying ideas. Easy way will be to put such prototypes on site, but what about protection from copy?
I believe that in economic powerful countries exist a lot of available solutions. But in most other countries, it can be a very difficult task, or even impossible.
Is there any on-line solution, for making a first step to protect intellectual property, or maybe patent?
Thanks.

[Chris]

Re: Intellectual property or patent?

Hi Jackdetect,

If you have developed something good patent it before you make it public. Companies like to pick up ideas and patent it. Later they claim that it was their invention! Happend many times with US & JAP companies!!!! Be carefull if you want to make some money with it. Resently I hear about two similar cases... US companies picked up the ideas because the inventor haven't patent it. Later the US company patent his idea and claimed that it was their idea.

The US company makes now millions of $$$ with it and the poor guy who was behind the invention is still a poor guy with great idea.

Regards
Chris

[bbsailor]

Re: Intellectual property or patent?

Check out the link below. This article makes the case against obtaining a patent. I thought you should see another point of view before investing $.

http://www.tinaja.com/glib/casagpat.pdf


[email protected]

[Carl-NC]

Re: Intellectual property or patent?

Once an "idea" has been patented, no one else can patent it. However, a patent does not prevent anyone from using that idea and profiting from it. All a patent does is give you the right to sue someone if they use that idea.

In the U.S., filing a patent might cost $2,000 or so. Defending that patent will cost $20,000 or so. Just for starters. So, if you really really want to prevent someone from using your idea, it better be a darned good idea, that's worth lots and lots of money. And you better have a good lawyer. If you don't defend the patent, then you will lose your rights to it.

Once an idea is made public by its originator, there is a one year grace period to get the patent filed. After that, it cannot be patented. Ever. But, let's say you have an idea, that you don't want to make public, but you also want to prevent someone else from filing a patent on that idea. In a trial, lab notebooks generally rule the day. So write your ideas -- ALL YOUR IDEAS -- in a bound notebook (not looseleaf), in ink, and have each page signed & dated by a reliable and uninterested witness. The earliest dated notebook entry that clearly conveys the idea will win.

Omitting "prior art" will sink a patent in a heartbeat, and is the reason so many patents are easy to defeat.

- Carl

[RobJY]

Re: Intellectual property or patent?

Jack,
Theres a really good book on ideas and patenting
by Harry Cole endorsed by Ron Hickman inventor of "THE WORKMATE" on back cover, his email is at the url location below.
I have a copy and found it to be very helpfull
in deciding how to protect a metaldetecting digging tool I have invented.
regards Rob.



Harry Coles Book on Patenting

[jackdetect]

Re: Intellectual property or patent?

Many thanks for all inputs.
Costs about patent protection, are only a part of the story.
Development of an idea can be cost much more. Need lot of time, patient and money to realize something new. Then, you need good experts help to make documentation with all scientific explanations (which is not absolutely needed in develop).
Such cost, is almost impossible for most ordinary peoples. It is so discouraging.
That is reason, why most patents have assign name (some companies, institutes, etc.)
Seems to me, only way is to find some assign company, interested for buying, which can easy protect the patent. But how to find such company, and protect your idea from them, until you reach contract?
The World is big place, with lot of clever peoples, which are, with huge internet knowledge base, can do lot to advance conceptions of metal detecting. But they need some assurance, that its worth to try. In comparing with such world army, present manufacturers of metal detectors are piece of sand in desert.
Somewhere must be some agency (private maybe), or independent organization, which can help with such problems. Finally, such agency also can take part of realized profit.
Such topic can be very interesting for lot of peoples on this, or similar forums, and maybe inspire them to act.
Jackdetect.

[Aziz]

Re: Intellectual property or patent?

Hi,

the best protection is to keep your idea secret!
Do not tell your wife, your cat, your dog, your friends, do not post in forums, etc.
;-)

If you disclosure your idea (in public), in most cases you cannot patent such an idea anymore.
Except the patent officer does not look extensively for a same or similar idea, he will probably patent your idea. Because patent offices want making a lot of money, regardles whether an idea makes sense or not.
On the other hand, you will have a lot of costs.

Therefore I decided for example to disclore my idea of the balanced pcb-coil, preventing others to patent such a coil. With this, any mankind can use the idea for free.

Sometimes an idea is very complex, that no one others can understand the idea or copy it. Make it very complicated to protect your idea.

Today it is easy to protect ideas implemented in software. The protection can then be realised as a dongle solution, which I thinking to use it. You have no more lots of cost.

Aziz