How does one make and market a new invention?

[OHDiver]

I have a great idea for a scuba accessory that I would love to copyright, patent, make and market.... Of course, I can't tell you all just yet or you might just steal the idea for yourself.... hee heee
But really.... How does one go about turning an idea into an actual product?
Any idea's???

 

[lairdb]

OHDiver once bubbled...
I have a great idea for a scuba accessory that I would love to copyright, patent, make and market.... Of course, I can't tell you all just yet or you might just steal the idea for yourself.... hee heee
But really.... How does one go about turning an idea into an actual product?
Any idea's???

(Um, uh-oh.)

This is, unfortunately, one of those questions like "can I buy a rebreather mail order from leisurepro?"; the very asking of it indicates the scary lack of knowledge.

PLEASE understand I don't mean to be insulting, or even condescending -- brilliant product ideas come from many people every day, and you may have a great one. Product development, from cocktail-napkin to volume sales, distribution, and support, is an enormously complex undertaking.

For an individual inventor, there are two basic paths (and a spectrum of blurry alternatives between): try to develop your product, or try to sell your idea.

(Aaaugh -- have to run to product development meeting (no joke); will continue later.)

--Lard

 

[lairdb]

lairdb once bubbled...


(Aaaugh -- have to run to product development meeting (no joke); will continue later.)

--Lard

(G******* it! I wrote a whole friggin' essay to continue this, and the board software dumped it. Broken by design.)

Shorter version:

Developing your product involves
- protecting it (e.g. patent.)
- raising money
- developing it (prototypes, design, manufacturability, serviceability, pre-production, volume production, packaging)
- raising money
- marketing and selling it (advertising, packaging, channel choice, channel marketing, distribution)
- raising money
- supporting it (service, support, warranty repair)
- collecting revenue
- reinvesting to continue

Selling your idea involves
- protecting it
- licencing your idea


--Laird (not "Lard"; %$$#^*&%$!! arbitrary board software)

 

[yknot]

I have started down this path myself before. Without the obvious warnings about really bringing a product to market, I say start with a competent patent attorney. If you have even a rough sketch with an outline of the function of your product an attorney can time and date stamp it. This will provide some preliminary protection for your idea. I am aware of two basic types of patents- structural and design. Structural patents are for inventions that cannot be easily duplicated without violating the intent of the patent- say for something like a radio. Design patents only protect appearance items to something existing- such as knob placement on your radio. In any event I found the US patent process to be something very difficult to undertake on your own. Scuba diving may have prepared your for this already- its going to be expensive. Good luck with your venture.

 

[lairdb]

yknot once bubbled...
I have started down this path myself before. Without the obvious warnings about really bringing a product to market, I say start with a competent patent attorney. If you have even a rough sketch with an outline of the function of your product an attorney can time and date stamp it. This will provide some preliminary protection for your idea. I am aware of two basic types of patents- structural and design. Structural patents are for inventions that cannot be easily duplicated without violating the intent of the patent- say for something like a radio. Design patents only protect appearance items to something existing- such as knob placement on your radio. In any event I found the US patent process to be something very difficult to undertake on your own. Scuba diving may have prepared your for this already- its going to be expensive. Good luck with your venture.

Ha -- knew I forgot something.

The protecting part is pretty critical in both choices, if you really have an idea worth protecting. I can't recommend enough the book "Patent It Yourself" from Nolo Press. _NOT_ because you should, in fact, patent it yourself, but because it will serve as an excellent introduction to the whole set of concepts around IP protection (no, _not_ Intermediate Pressure) including the basics of first-to-invest vs. first-to-file, whether having your attorney timestamp your sketch is worth more or less than having your friend sign and date the corner, and the complete uselessness of the "mail-yourself-a-copy" approach.

--Laird

 

[scubasean]

lairdb once bubbled...


Ha -- knew I forgot something.

The protecting part is pretty critical in both choices, if you really have an idea worth protecting. I can't recommend enough the book "Patent It Yourself" from Nolo Press. _NOT_ because you should, in fact, patent it yourself, but because it will serve as an excellent introduction to the whole set of concepts around IP protection (no, _not_ Intermediate Pressure) including the basics of first-to-invest vs. first-to-file, whether having your attorney timestamp your sketch is worth more or less than having your friend sign and date the corner, and the complete uselessness of the "mail-yourself-a-copy" approach.

--Laird

Just to clarify, mailing yourself a copy and/or timestamping only provides evidence of creation, and provides evidence of copyright on a given date(in the case of the expression of an idea[not invention]). It does not provide any patent protection.

And, I think you meant "first to invent", not "first to invest"...

 

[ScoobyDave]

Ditto on getting your sketches date-confirmed. If someone else introduces a similar product, the date-confirmed sketches show conditions of prior art that may provide grounds for you to go after the 3rd party.

Get a book or search online for patent resources and read before engaging any costly attorney. Note, you don't copyright a product invention, so focus your search on patent resources.

Be prepared for an arduous process to patent an idea, and be prepared for a huge expense. It's not for the faint of heart. btw, I have 8 patents and am bald, so guess which came first.

Dave

 

[Tropics Diver]

Do a search for other relevant patents before you go too far.

http://www.uspto.gov/

Even if the item isn't patentable,there is a possibility that you can make the design distinctive enough that you can trademark the design as something that distinguishes you as the source of the item.