Author Topic: Anyone ever filed a patent?  (Read 4359 times)

Offline Rob

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Anyone ever filed a patent?
« on: April 7, 2011, 04:27 PM »
I've got a new (maybe) idea for a product that we use every day and I'm trying to file one.  Without talking about the idea... I have no idea what I'm doing and would love any advice anyone could offer up.

Offline Jayson

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #1 on: April 7, 2011, 05:01 PM »
Check out legalzoom. They have people that can help and can walk you through step by step. I researched filing one once but never pulled the trigger. Maybe someday.  :P
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Offline Paul

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #2 on: April 7, 2011, 05:17 PM »
If it is a good idea, get a Patent Attorney, they are expesive but worth it. 

Patent stuff is pretty specific.

Offline Sprry75

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #3 on: April 7, 2011, 10:08 PM »
Ditto what Paul said.  If you think it's worth it to get a patent, it's worth it to speak with a patent attorney.
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #4 on: April 7, 2011, 11:40 PM »
Ditto as well to what Paul said - I'm on a patent through my job and me and my colleague who are on the patent worked through the entire process with our company's patent attorney.

It was very involved and I couldn't imagine trying to do something like that w/o the patent attorney helping out with the legal language, prelim search and application presentation/defense to the patent office.
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Offline Rob

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #5 on: April 8, 2011, 01:38 PM »
That's what I was afraid you guys would say.  The only problem is that I'm not 100% sure that it's a good (or original) idea and I don't want to spend several hundred dollars for a patent search only to find out that it's been done or have someone later on tell me that it's not feasible.

Things to think about... 

Offline Paul

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #6 on: April 8, 2011, 01:53 PM »
There are some free searches on the web, but that will just give you the obvious matches to your search. 

Offline Matt

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #7 on: April 8, 2011, 02:03 PM »
That's what I was afraid you guys would say.  The only problem is that I'm not 100% sure that it's a good (or original) idea and I don't want to spend several hundred dollars for a patent search only to find out that it's been done or have someone later on tell me that it's not feasible.

Things to think about... 

Tell me what your idea is and I'll take care of all the paperwork for you.
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Offline Rob

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #8 on: April 8, 2011, 02:31 PM »
Seriously though...  I'd be open to giving someone a percentage of all the guaranteed trillions of dollars if they were willing to sign a contract with me and then handle the up front investment of getting the patent filed.


Offline Chris M

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #9 on: April 8, 2011, 02:43 PM »
Sent you a PM Rob.
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Offline Rob

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #10 on: April 8, 2011, 03:02 PM »
Cool.  Let me get some advice on what the best way to protect the idea while sharing it with someone and I'll get back to you.

I don't know that it's even that great of an idea or anything, so I don't want to over sell it.  It's something that I wished I could purchase but as far as I know no one makes.  There could be reasons for this... it could be more expensive to produce than I think... it could be that there are design limitations.  That's the reason I don't want to drop $400 or $500 on patent searches at the moment.  For all I know someone has a patent on it, or tried and decided it wasn't viable.


Offline ruiner

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2011, 03:24 PM »
Rob, thanks for sharing your idea with me but I'm afraid someone beat you to it:

https://www.buyeasyfeet.com/?MID=1021529

Offline solrac

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #12 on: May 6, 2011, 08:52 PM »
I tried one of the companies that are on TV that say they help inventors.They dint go for the companies that i told them would be interested in making the product and wasted about $10,000 dollars.They did all the research and legal paperwork made a website for the product to show anyone they found interested but they kept going for the wrong companies.There are small inventor groups out there that can help you on your way if you just tweak the design a little.
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #13 on: May 6, 2011, 11:07 PM »
I once applied for a job at a startup software company that would help you thru the process of documenting and filing a patent. They would keep all documentation for you in secured servers. They had a inventors forum where people could talk about ideas but all conversations were documented and would be the property poster. Didn't take the job. It sounds a little law suit worthy.
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Offline solrac

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Re: Anyone ever filed a patent?
« Reply #14 on: May 9, 2011, 12:36 AM »
The groups I'm talking about just walk you through the proses, You don't talk about the Idea/invention itself. My uncle and cousin go to these on a regular basis I didn't care to go but now wish i would of gone.There is a legal form that you can have people sign when you talk to them about the invention.
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