Tips to Protect Your New Idea - What Works Best For You?
That great new idea of yours can change your life for the better. But before you jump right into further development and marketing, you need to protect it from those few unscrupulous folks that might just steal those dreams. Plus, once you've obtained appropriate protection, you will have many more options available.
Just HOW will you acquire and keep this all-important protection? Basically, you have 3 options: Keep your idea a complete Secret, get a full patent, or obtain a so-called provisional patent. Only you can determine what works best for you, your financial situation and your specific idea or type of invention. We will examine each of these options.
Secrecy -The Coca Cola family successfully maintained the 'secret formula' of their product for generations. However, secrets are almost impossible to keep for very long. And to keep from involving others, you must be financially capable of seeing your product through to production and distribution. Typically, secrecy works best for processes or products that are not easily reverse engineered.
Full Patent - If your idea or invention is mechanical, technical or electronic, it is unlikely that mere secrecy will work for you. Your idea will ultimately require a full patent. If you have checked out any of the companies that cater to new inventors, you know that full (non-provisional) patents are very expensive. In reality, these full patents will need an experienced patent attorney -- and they don't come cheap! This is the ultimate way to go, if you can afford it.
Provisional Patent - this is still very effective, and if funds are limited, it's probably your best option. The provisional application for patent gets 'your foot in the door'. Easily attained, ?Patent Pending' can then be displayed with the description of your innovation. For an entire year, it will be protected. Your valuable time can then be directed toward finding partners, promoters, or backers.
With a full or provisional patent in hand, you can safely negotiate with others to further develop, manufacture, sell, and distribute your product. You are in a position to have them pay you royalties, commissions, and other fees. This will leave you creatively free to come up with other new ideas.
Again, a full patent is very expensive and must involve an attorney at some point. As for filing a provisional application for patent, you can do it completely on your own, or you can use one of the many readily available kits, to help you file. To get started, go to the website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and look at the hundreds of available forms and the pages of instructions that go with each form. If you have the time to read and do the research -- 12 - 15 hours perhaps -- you will learn a lot, and eventually zero in on the half-dozen or so forms that you actually need.
Remember in all of this that time is of the essence! You don't want someone else to beat you to the punch, so be thorough but be as quick as possible in completing your research. If you place a high value on your own time, or if you find researching government websites to be tedious, or just not your cup of tea, then an inexpensive 'kit' might be a better match for your needs.
All needed forms should be listed or actually contained in a quality kit. While some will only contain the government instruction pages for each form, others provide simplified, plain-English, step-by-step directions. Look for one that explains which sections on each form are required -- and which lines. Your goal should be to obtain acceptance of your PPA, on the first pass. Kits start at $50 - $100.
Once protected by a full or provisional patent, you are free to spend your valuable time in much more profitable and exciting pursuits. Notably, you'll be finding interested parties to help you move your dream closer to reality, and moving you toward ultimate financial security. So protect that valuable idea, and move forward!
Just HOW will you acquire and keep this all-important protection? Basically, you have 3 options: Keep your idea a complete Secret, get a full patent, or obtain a so-called provisional patent. Only you can determine what works best for you, your financial situation and your specific idea or type of invention. We will examine each of these options.
Secrecy -The Coca Cola family successfully maintained the 'secret formula' of their product for generations. However, secrets are almost impossible to keep for very long. And to keep from involving others, you must be financially capable of seeing your product through to production and distribution. Typically, secrecy works best for processes or products that are not easily reverse engineered.
Full Patent - If your idea or invention is mechanical, technical or electronic, it is unlikely that mere secrecy will work for you. Your idea will ultimately require a full patent. If you have checked out any of the companies that cater to new inventors, you know that full (non-provisional) patents are very expensive. In reality, these full patents will need an experienced patent attorney -- and they don't come cheap! This is the ultimate way to go, if you can afford it.
Provisional Patent - this is still very effective, and if funds are limited, it's probably your best option. The provisional application for patent gets 'your foot in the door'. Easily attained, ?Patent Pending' can then be displayed with the description of your innovation. For an entire year, it will be protected. Your valuable time can then be directed toward finding partners, promoters, or backers.
With a full or provisional patent in hand, you can safely negotiate with others to further develop, manufacture, sell, and distribute your product. You are in a position to have them pay you royalties, commissions, and other fees. This will leave you creatively free to come up with other new ideas.
Again, a full patent is very expensive and must involve an attorney at some point. As for filing a provisional application for patent, you can do it completely on your own, or you can use one of the many readily available kits, to help you file. To get started, go to the website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and look at the hundreds of available forms and the pages of instructions that go with each form. If you have the time to read and do the research -- 12 - 15 hours perhaps -- you will learn a lot, and eventually zero in on the half-dozen or so forms that you actually need.
Remember in all of this that time is of the essence! You don't want someone else to beat you to the punch, so be thorough but be as quick as possible in completing your research. If you place a high value on your own time, or if you find researching government websites to be tedious, or just not your cup of tea, then an inexpensive 'kit' might be a better match for your needs.
All needed forms should be listed or actually contained in a quality kit. While some will only contain the government instruction pages for each form, others provide simplified, plain-English, step-by-step directions. Look for one that explains which sections on each form are required -- and which lines. Your goal should be to obtain acceptance of your PPA, on the first pass. Kits start at $50 - $100.
Once protected by a full or provisional patent, you are free to spend your valuable time in much more profitable and exciting pursuits. Notably, you'll be finding interested parties to help you move your dream closer to reality, and moving you toward ultimate financial security. So protect that valuable idea, and move forward!
About the Author:
The following provisional Patent Application Kit is recommended by the author. For an informative article on How to Write a Patent Application, click this link.
By Dimas Prast
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