Selling and or patenting an idea?

OK so I’ve got a few ideas. one is for a bathroom product (like the physical environment) and the other is for a technology/radio. I don’t have the means to produce them, but want to sell it.

how can i sell it to a business?

also, how can i patent it so when i produce it to the business, they don’t steal my idea without paying me?

shit, if you want it designed (3d model/drawings), shoot me a PM :slight_smile:

back about 5 years or so ago, when I first started here… some guy from NYC had us design a product for him and he needed patent drawings. From what I remember, we had to show “X” amount of views of the product and showing the operation of said product. Your best bet is to call the patent office and see what they say… I’m not sure what all else you need to patent an idea

first you need to either draw up your idea or have someone like dr. draw it up… as good as explanations and depictions as you can create.

next talk to a biz lawyer about it. they usually charge 100-150 / hr… so make sure u know what u want to say/ask, and have everything in line. they can most likely run searches for u and handle the paperwork to patent. once thats setup, you have to contact who you think may be interested… and sell away.

This should help answer som eof the basic questions…

http://www.library.ucla.edu/bruinsuccess/

you will find more links in the “Intellectual Proerty” section.

or www.howstuffworks.com, search for patent or intellectual property…

Patents arent worth it in 9 out of 10 situations for products, especially products that will be easily reproduced in countries without patent laws, or regularly do not enforce them.

a patent will cost you upwards of 25-30 thousand dollars.

In order to patent an idea, that idea has to be:

  1. Novel
  2. Useful
  3. Non-obvious to a person of average skill in the trade

Does your idea meet all 3 of these criterion? I dunno about $25k+, but you’re going to need to hire a patent lawyer to make sure your idea is novel (i.e. nobody else has patented it.)

like this one?

"US patent #5443036: “Method of exercising a cat” by Kevin T. Amiss and Martin H. Abbott filed 2 Nov 1993, issued 22 Aug 1995
Abstract:

A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam
of invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the
floor or wall or other opaque surface in the vicinity of the cat,
then moving the laser so as to cause the bright pattern of light to
move in an irregular way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal
with a chase instinct."

my father has a couple patents and a product out on the market. It’s a long drawn out process unless you have lots of capital. I believe the patent cost was around $15K and ultimately went to a business which he got a contract with to recieve 40% of the profits once the startup costs and advertising costs are paid for.

Which is a good thing to do if you have no clue how to market or target your key customers…if it flops, the business who purchased your idea sees a loss, not you. Which is why you only get 40% of the profit, but it’s a much lower risk to you.

^^^ those guys spent all that $ to patent the idea of shinig a fucking laser at a wall???

dous that mean im infringing if i buy a laser pointer to exercize my dog?

My neighbor is one of the biggest patent lawyers in buffalo. I also know an Intellectual property lawyer at Hodgson Russ.

^Simpson & Simpson?