If I would have some great world-changing Idea... like an invention, how do I patent it without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars? Is there a way to cheaply protect my idea? or even look for an invester? or post it on a site without worrying that someone might steal the idea?
If I have some great world-changing Idea...?
Regardless of how world shaking your idea is, you need to check it out against the market first. If you have an idea for an invention, before you build a prototype, before you contact a patent attorney, evaluate %26quot;Will it sell%26quot;. One of the best books to evaluate the marketability of your idea is %26quot;Will It Sell? How to Determine If Your Invention Is Profitably Marketable (Before Wasting Money on a Patent) %26quot;
If you don't have this book, you need to buy it. It costs about $20.00. If you think 20.00 is too much to risk on the book then you don't have anywhere near the money to develop your idea.
I had lots of good ideas and this book showed me how to avoid wasting my time on ideas that either already exist or won't sell. It turns out ideas are plentiful and cheap, and there's no point spending time on an idea that won't get to market.
And if it turns out you DO have a good idea, the book has tips on what to do next to get it to market.
If I have some great world-changing Idea...?
A patent attorney will not charge hundreds of thousand of dollars, but his services are not cheap. Some people suggest you draw up your idea, describe it fully, seal it in an envelope and mail it to yourself as proof of the date of your invention evidenced by the postmark. That does nothing for you if you don't make the invention public, and if some large company steals it, you could spend thousands trying to protect yourself without a patent. So a patent attorney is about your best bet. He will do a search to determine if the invention is patentable. If it is, you may be able to raise some money to protect it with a patent. If it is really a world shaking idea, you should have no trouble finding someone to buy your patent or make the item under license.
