http://www.awapatent.com/?id=9051

if its soo simple it could be done DIY and if as you say itd be handy/people would want it then its probably already being used somewhere anyway

Quote from: EggtasticoYes, But that wouldnt protect me against an Asian ripoff. Thats the problem about the design. Its something simple enough to be knocked up in a few hours by an ethusiast. Its basically a Useful Mod for a Computer.

Sorry, my point was that this can help to secure your idea whilst youre sorting out the patent. This is not a be all and end all solution; youd still need to file for patent in all of the countries you wish to protect your idea in.

You cant patent an idea. you can only patent a design.

You would require detailed schematics, and a lot of legal paperwork for it to work.

Copyrighting, simply the act of writing it down allows you to copyright it, but it only protects works of art or literature/music.

If you managed to patent it, it would be down to you to sell licencing rights to companies, you wouldnt find them all paying you royalty fees unless you got involved and tracked down the companies who were doing it, threatened them with legal prosecution, and bartered out a deal in which you recieved a few pennies in exchange for production rights. You may find that companies may wish to combine your idea as part of another thing, and that it would be adequately far enough removed from the initial idea to be allowed under uk law.

Patents are also not enforcable over international boundries, the only way to prevent a company in hong kong or china from producing your product would be to apply for a patent in that country as well.

A lot of money... time... and effort is involved if you wish to protect your design from every threat.

So theres no sure way I could stop it being copied as its not a new invention or what not. Just an extra addon design.

Ok.. Seen those PSUs where you plug in power adapter as & when you need them? wouldnt that design be patented somhow so nobody could copy it or bring out anything similar?

Its that kind of thing im talking about. Somthing thats Handy, but not to everyone & its not a total new invention.. Infact, It wont even need a device driver, etc. - So its really open to be copied  

An example given earlier.. remember when Baybuss was all the rage (somthing that slotted into a Drive Bay to control speed of fans). Its that kind of Idea Id want to protect. Simple Idea, but it hadnt been done.

Within Months they was being sold comercially.

It has to be a really good idea to bother with patenting, and if someone has already made one your money could be down the drain.

If you expand on a previous idea you can patent your bit of it, IBM and such companies do that every day.

patenting is f**king annoying because it costs 50k plus a year, mainly being, just because you have a patent, doesnt stop enterprising people, buying one, doing a product evaluation on it, and bashing out clones.

the only way you can physically stop someone, is winning the court case.


trust me i am an industrial design student.

Quote from: redpatenting is f**king annoying because it costs 50k plus a year, mainly being, just because you have a patent, doesnt stop enterprising people, buying one, doing a product evaluation on it, and bashing out clones.

the only way you can physically stop someone, is winning the court case.


trust me i am an industrial design student.

Hahaha. Student! You dont even live in the real word. How can you trust a student  :mrgreen:
Think Ill contact Sunbeamtech & see if they want to buy my Idea :-D

LOL OK THEN DONT LISTEN TO THE PERSON DOING DESIGN, BTW CAN I HAVE A LOOK BECAUSE MY CHINEESE FRIEND WANTS A NEW WING ON HIS MANSION.

Quote from: redLOL OK THEN DONT LISTEN TO THE PERSON DOING DESIGN, BTW CAN I HAVE A LOOK BECAUSE MY CHINEESE FRIEND WANTS A NEW WING ON HIS MANSION.

10p for a look.. unless i can look at yours  :mrgreen:
We can play " Cock on Ewe"

I know the woman who invented the rain canopies for pushchairs.

She didnt have a patent, called up manufacturers of pushchairs, got told it was a waste of time, then a few months later they were being sold on the street in major outlets.

If you call sunbeam tech and tell them, theyll say exactly the same.

Quote from: Eggtastico

Quote from: redLOL OK THEN DONT LISTEN TO THE PERSON DOING DESIGN, BTW CAN I HAVE A LOOK BECAUSE MY CHINEESE FRIEND WANTS A NEW WING ON HIS MANSION.

10p for a look.. unless i can look at yours  :mrgreen:
We can play " Cock on Ewe"

honestly mate, its only gay if you push back.

plus you are going to get ripped off if you approach a company.

I thought If I had all the designs done right & copyrighted/patented & then approached a company & the company knocks it back & brings one out anyway, then do you have a right.

TBH, F*** it. If Im not gonna make off it, Ill leave the idea on the shelf.

lol well the woman I know had a prototype, and designs sealed in an envelope. Just didnt have the money to patent it, or really develop it further.

She still got screwed.