Question:
I have an idea for a simple basic toiletries item that I don't believe is in production yet, but would be of benefit to many individuals, not to mention hotels etc.
Thing is, I don't know where to go from here. I cannot produce even a prototype in my own home, and don't want to involve the big pharmaceutical companies in case they claim it as their own.
I've also posted this on the discussions board - hope that's allowed.
Answers:
I don't know if this will help much, but these are the people who issue patents in the UK - and possibly it's now valid throughout Europe. It was my delight to share a flat with two trainee patent agents many years ago so I used to know more than I do now, but the law's probably changed a lot anyway!
Your first step would, I believe, be to establish whether your idea was 'novel' ...
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Many thanks for the link Sue . I have googled my idea and it does not seem to be in current availability, but maybe that's because it's been tried and proved to be a disaster :.
You know how it is, the the cold light of day things suddenly seem like too much trouble . Not to mention that it seems expensive to launch anything new if you want to benefit from it yourself!
I reckon we should have a board for inventions, and we could all help eachother through the minefields! ;D
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What a good idea Bogof_Babe ;D ;D
and good luck with everything, if your sure your on to a winner don't be detered, give it your all, ;D ;D
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Many thanks for the link Sue . I have googled my idea and it does not seem to be in current availability, but maybe that's because it's been tried and proved to be a disaster :.
You know how it is, the the cold light of day things suddenly seem like too much trouble . Not to mention that it seems expensive to launch anything new if you want to benefit from it yourself!
I reckon we should have a board for inventions, and we could all help eachother through the minefields! ;D
I did start something in the Discussions page about ideas I'd had which other people had pinched while I was still thinking how useful they'd be ... but it was very lighthearted. You do have to be VERY careful about sharing your ideas on or offline, because it can be hard to prove who had the idea first - not to mention exorbitantly expensive.
Googling is a good idea if you're clear how it would be described. Searching for an existing patent would be the next step: but the Patent Office website warns that this isn't easy!
A thought: is it something the Body Shop would be interested in? They have a reputation for innovation and fair trade, so a tentative approach might pay off. But I think retaining control yourself would be a whole new board game.
Answers:
one of the easyer ways to patent or copyright a idea is a simple one that has been used for years
you need to prove in court that you thought of the idea before the other person
so you put your idea and ond documents and other stuff in a box and get post it to your self by recorded delivery
and when you recieve it never open it and put it in your loft
this is the cheap way of doing it
but it works in courts as you have the unopened parcel with the dates by royal mail to prove it
then they open the box to find the idea and unless the other person can prove he thought of the idea before you
YOU WIN!!!!
Answers:
one of the easyer ways to patent or copyright a idea is a simple one that has been used for years
It's a good idea and I don't doubt it would work in the courts and it's probably worth doing before you start the patenting process or approaching people who might want to take the idea forward for you, BUT it is IMO no substitute for an actual patent because you would have to go to court to prove someone pinched your idea! And that would not be cheap.
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my son had an idea so i went on google put in "patents" and a sight came up on "how to patent "his idea and the first thing they say is you must have not told ONE person about your idea well he had because he had told family and frends for there respons to what they thought and feed back, so he couldnt patent it.
But we have not seen his idea so it still sleeps.
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I was led to believe that you could not patent an "idea" but could only patent an actual product??
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I was led to believe that you could not patent an "idea" but could only patent an actual product??
I think it is the idea not the product which you patent. It has to be 'novel', and not just an improvement on an existing product or idea.
But it's a long time since I listened to theoretical discussions over the tea table about patenting - ah, happy days! - so I could be quite wrong!
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Hi,
Keep coming up with ideas, and there is one in particular that i think could work out.
I know i need to patent it before i do anything else, but can i go to any solicitor,roughly how much can i expect to pay?
Also, i have no technical idea of how to get my idea into production, so once i patent can anyone recommend a company to take over production etc.
Appreciate any advice!!
Answers:
The uk patent office give really good advice on how to get started and all procedures involved in it. solicitor's charges vary depending on solicitors etc..like for anything really.
will give you advice on their side of things and will advise you of steps.
As to the company who may manfuacture things, it would depend on what the product was.
Don't forget too you may be able to apply for grants, say small business loans etc
Answers:
You want to be wary of patenting somehting too early. The upkeep of a patent (you need to file more than once to ensure you have coverage in more than Europe) can get very very expensive while you are waiting to find a suitable partner for a licencing agreement.
You can use technology transfer companies, innovation relay networks, NHS innovations... most of which will tap into regional development agencies which have access to whats called proof of concept funding. They can search on NERAC or similar to try to ensure you idea really is novel before you submit your patent.
Don't whatever you do discuss your idea with anyone... this can create something called prior art which will cause an application to fail.
Sorry its a really complicated area, I could go on and on. My job is to speak to inventors and technology transfer companies to try to find new novel products to add to my companies product range so I know a fair bit about this stuff. Feel free to pm me if you like and if you give me a bit more detail eg: its a medical device, its a new home appliance that sort of things I should be able to help point you in the right direction.
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Please be very very careful and get a very good patent solictor, They are expensive , please consider taking out the insurance to cover your idea incase some one tries to infringe it. i wasnt offered it and now some oneelse has my idea, which sells worldwide
Answers:
one of the easyer ways to patent or copyright a idea is a simple one that has been used for years
you need to prove in court that you thought of the idea before the other person
so you put your idea and ond documents and other stuff in a box and get post it to your self by recorded delivery
and when you recieve it never open it and put it in your loft
this is the cheap way of doing it
but it works in courts as you have the unopened parcel with the dates by royal mail to prove it
then they open the box to find the idea and unless the other person can prove he thought of the idea before you
YOU WIN!!!!
This does not patent or copyright anything. It allows you to prove copyright. Copyright protection is automatic on the creation of any original piece of art (art in this instance meaning specific drawing, piece of writing, musical score etc.). A notice of copyright on a document is just a reminder of its copyright status. It should also be noted that copyright applies to a specific piece of original art. So, for example, if you come up with an idea for an invention and you draw a diagram detailing it that drawing is copyright. As a first step it is probably wise to protect that copyright in the way Meggyloo describes. If I were to copy or photograph that drawing I would be in breach of your copyright. However, if I redrew the diagram with some small changes or if I remembered the details and went and built a model of your invention that would not breach copyright since copyright is on the drawing as an original artwork, not on the idea. Ideas cannot be protected through copyright, that is what patent is for.
NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, provides some good advice for inventors which includes the subject of intellectual property rights