Patent

ardinn

Dunno if im in the right place but anyway if I am not, move me - I will go quietly!

I am wondering can I patent a design to boost sales for a product allready available.

Basically I see a way to boost sales of a product that is not my own using a standard desgin - I am not re-inventing the wheel or coming up with a new invention. I simply have an idea to boost a products sales.

Patent is maybe a strong word but how would I go about presenting this to a company with some protection so they cant say "thats great thanks for the idea, we will use that, bye bye now"

Thanks for any help

Avatar MIA

ardinn wrote: »

Dunno if im in the right place but anyway if I am not, move me - I will go quietly!

I am wondering can I patent a design to boost sales for a product allready available.

Basically I see a way to boost sales of a product that is not my own using a standard desgin - I am not re-inventing the wheel or coming up with a new invention. I simply have an idea to boost a products sales.

Patent is maybe a strong word but how would I go about presenting this to a company with some protection so they cant say "thats great thanks for the idea, we will use that, bye bye now"

Thanks for any help

I imagine this isn't what you mean, but actually have a physical product in mind. But, to be sure. You cannot patent an idea.

ardinn

Avatar MIA wrote: »

I imagine this isn't what you mean, but actually have a physical product in mind. But, to be sure. You cannot patent an idea.

Yeah I suppose my actual question should have been if I had the idea is there protection against the company stealing it if I went to them with it.
So I think I have answered my own question and understand I now have to make the friggin thing.

Now, as thats settled, if I make this thing which is a fairly standard dispense design, can I patent that, for the product it's intended for, which I dont own!?!

I'm not going to be a millionaire am i

Avatar MIA

ardinn wrote: »

I'm not going to be a millionaire am i

Depends on the idea. Not sure a prototype is required for a design patent.

alias no.9

If the product is already in the public domain, it's too late to patent it

Avatar MIA

alias no.9 wrote: »

If the product is already in the public domain, it's too late to patent it

Think the OP means an add on. Say there's a PC and someone comes along and invents a mouse. Can that be patented? In my example I think it could, although no idea of what actually happened re the invention of the mouse.

ardinn

alias no.9 wrote: »

If the product is already in the public domain, it's too late to patent it

The product is - the design I have is a dispense unit for the product, used to boost sales.

Say if coke made the only 500ml bottles of anything, and I came up with an idea for a dispenser for those bottles that would increase sales of coke.

Edit - what he said too!!

Peregrinus

If what you have designed is a physical machine then, yes, you can patent that, and you don't need to build a prototype. You can patent the design for your machine. You can also patent a process.

But, in either case, to patent your machine or process, you'll have to show that it's new, that it's useful and that it's not obvious.

You take out a patent by registration. Unlike, say, copyright, which you acquired simply by creating a work of art or literature, you have to apply for a patent, and they'll scrutinize your application to see that your invention is indeed new, useful and non-obvious. Your application will need to include a detailed design, plus a description of how your machine is made and how it is used, and an explanation of what is new and useful about it. To do this you will require the services of a patent agent. This is a pricey business.

A less pricey business is to approach the company you think might find your idea useful and invite them to sign a nondisclosure agreement, under which you will explain your idea to them and, if they are interested, negotiate a deal whereby they pay to to deveop the machine and supply it to them, or they pay you to licence them to make and use the machine themselves. Effectively, this commits them not to ]use your idea, or to tell anyone else about it, unless they can agree commercial terms with you for doing so. For a nondisclosure agreement you will need a lawyer. Pricey, but much less pricey than a patent.

The cheapest alternative is simply to publish your idea. This prevents anyone else from patenting it, since it's no longer new, but it also prevents you from patenting it, so it's not really much use to you in the present circumstance.