IVE made a prototype that exceded

[FOG]

My expectations, i made it for me and decided lotsa PEOPLE would like it. So the question is

Do i make them an sell em OR should i patent it, ive no idea how long or how much a patent takes ?

Your opinions please ?

[Muzikman]

Lots of time and money. You can save a lot of money and spend more time if you do the research portion yourself or you can spend a lot of money and spend less of your time by hiring a patent attorny to do it for you. Front there you have some forms, a fee and a wait.

There a bunches of sites that explain how to apply for a patent, do a quick google search and start reading.

[cyberave68]

do the poor mans patent. Draw it all up in detail and descriptions too. Send it to your self in a registered envolpe to show you had the idea first... if some one with money beats you to it you at least have some right to it....

[Papa_Smurf]

http://www.poormanpatents.com/

[luke]

My expectations, i made it for me and decided lotsa PEOPLE would like it. So the question is

Do i make them an sell em OR should i patent it, ive no idea how long or how much a patent takes ?

Your opinions please ?

A patent is not worth the paper it is printed on if you don't have money to defend it in court.

Flood the market with your idea and ride it as long as you can...

IMHO..

[y0da900]

Poorman's patents are almost entirely worthless

http://www.network54.com/Forum/9013/...man%27s+patent...

I asked our patemt lawyers if that held any value and pretty much after the sniggers, the answer was 'no'. The only value may be if you DID patent it also, and someone else patented a similar thing at a close time frame. You could then prove initial inventorship and win.

If you want to prove you had an idea first you need to file a provisional patent. Heck you can even write it yourself and it doesn't cost much to file (may even be free now?).

[FOG]

Some great ideas , please keep the opinions coming, THE MONEY to defend in court ,well

i probably dont

[angrysasquatch]

Wouldn't a poor man's patent at least keep "someone" from patenting it?

[Smoothice]

A patent is not worth the paper it is printed on if you don't have money to defend it in court.

Flood the market with your idea and ride it as long as you can...

IMHO..

Quote for Truth ^^^^^^^^

[rabidchihauhau]

"mailing it to yourself" only wastes a stamp.

You can put yourself on the patent train for a little over $100.00 by filing a provisional patent yourself. Forms and guides are available at www.uspto.gov.

Beware though that:

1. you are then on a patent fast-track and must file a formal application within 1 year
2. there are no guarantees
3. if you can't market it yourself efficiently, there are those who will ignore patents
4. if you can't defend yourself...
5. you can run the risk of writing yourself into a corner with the provisional if you don't know what you're doing

and other pitfalls too numerous to mention

[custar]

Or you could obtain a provisional patent and then contact a reputable company (I know, harder and harder to find in paintball) and sell your patent to the company. There are dangers in this, but joining with an established business could provide a lot of advantages.

custar

[rabidchihauhau]

"Selling" intellectual property is generally NOT a good idea. You want to license it instead.

some pitfalls of selling are:

you were paid an entirely inappropriate amount (1500 bucks for something that the new owner made half a billion on)

your product is purchased and buried - never seeing the light of day

the purchaser discovers an entirely new application for it and makes another half a billion off of that

lose your ability to use it to establish a track record of inventiveness for yourself

you come up with improvements, enhancements and etc - but the folks who bought it from you aren't interested and you can't do anything with them without it

[custar]

"Selling" intellectual property is generally NOT a good idea. You want to license it instead.

Good point. I am corrected.

custar

[FOG]

License ? AS IN Patent ?

[rabidchihauhau]

as in any intellectual property.

patents are obvious, but you can also license trademarks and tradenames, copyrighted material (like selling an article to a magazine for 'first north american serial rights' - meaning they get the right (license) to print the article in their magazine one time.

in fact, you can license ANYTHING, so long as their is someone willing to pay.