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Creating a new product in Ireland

  • 10-03-2009 9:07am
    #1
    FutureGuy
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,249 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,
    I'm wondering if anyone has any links which focuses on creating and copyrighting a product? I have a few ideas but cannot seem to find any information. I'm going to head out to the City Enterprise Board to see what information they can offer, but I know from experience that the Boardsies always have great information.

    What if the idea is something that I would not be able to manufacture...is there information on how to register an idea to sell onto a major company?

    I'm also looking for information on how to protect intellectual property in Ireland, Europe and Worldwide.


Comments

  • #2
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Enterprise Ireland I think offer a service with the process of patent application, provisional protection etc? Worth contacting them, if anyone knows they should, unless of course you want to go direct to commercial entities (Patent agents) several in Dublin. They'll give you little free advice though?


  • #3
    conolan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 586 ✭✭✭conolan


    You can patent a product (or process) but it costs and takes more than just an idea. For products you'd need drawings, specifications etc.
    Copyright doesn't apply to a product (but the visual design could be copyright) and you can't copyright a product name, but you can trademark it.
    If you have a serious product idea, you should at least prototype it before spending money on protecting it.

    Also, there is no copyright registration process. Write something, paint something and copyright is yours automatically. However you may need to prove it's yours. This is where the sealed registered envelope posted to yourself or solicitor comes in. Proves the work existed on a certain date.


  • #4
    515
    Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭515


    The patent office is what you want. Info on their website or just phone them and they'll answer your questions and post info out to you.

    You could also call a patent agent, who will deal with you confidentially. Again plenty of info on their websites.

    If you want to protect your invention worldwide then look into the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The benefit of this is that it keeps the early costs down. But be warned, patenting is expensive... and you have to pay every year.


  • #5
    FutureGuy
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,249 Mod ✭✭✭✭FutureGuy


    Thanks for the advice everyone. I will ring the Patents Office today to see what advice they can give me.

    Creating a prototype will be very difficult as there is a chemical element to it which will have to undero proper trials. I'm 100% certain that there would be no problems with it, but it would have to be done, and therefore a prototype would be too expensive to create.

    Is there a process outlined whereby a company could be contacted regarding the idea, and the intellectual property could be purchased if interested?


  • #6
    515
    Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭515


    Yes. You file a patent and then you can license that patent to anyone you want.

    The patent gives you the exclusive right to make, sell and use the idea in any country you file it in. The license is then the process by which you sell those rights on to others. This could be an exclusive license, or you could license to many people... and it could be for one country or all countries you have patents for. The terms are entirely down to what you and the licensee want to do.

    Be warned though, it's not an easy process. Companies don't like spending money on ideas that are not yet proven... the guys you will be selling to won't gain if the company does well out of it, but could get blamed if it flops, so it's a tough sell.


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  • #7
    FutureGuy
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,249 Mod ✭✭✭✭FutureGuy


    515 wrote: »
    Yes. You file a patent and then you can license that patent to anyone you want.

    The patent gives you the exclusive right to make, sell and use the idea in any country you file it in. The license is then the process by which you sell those rights on to others. This could be an exclusive license, or you could license to many people... and it could be for one country or all countries you have patents for. The terms are entirely down to what you and the licensee want to do.

    Be warned though, it's not an easy process. Companies don't like spending money on ideas that are not yet proven... the guys you will be selling to won't gain if the company does well out of it, but could get blamed if it flops, so it's a tough sell.

    Thanks for the great advice! I understand there is no such thing as a world wide patent, so what about this example-I have a patent for a product in Ireland, America and the UK and I start working with an American company. If they then go and manufacture that product in a country I do not have a patent for, my patent is useless?

    I'm learning a lot thanks!


  • #8
    515
    Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭515


    Your patent will stop them making, selling or using the invention in the countries you have protected.

    So if in your example they made it in France, sold it into Germany and/or used it in Spain then you have no recourse. But if they made it in the US and sold it to France you would...

    Patenting is a balancing act of trying to protect as much of your target market as possible without spending too much on protection.

    Using the PCT application I talked about above allows you to delay making a final decision on which countries to protect for a few years, which should allow you to see which countries are worth protecting.


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