Selling an idea...

[Sniper]

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right, but he also said he can't manufacture it... if he can't create/manufacture his product, he won't be able to patent it as far as I can tell.

Seems doubtful that he'll be able to sell just his idea to any company. But, it'd be cool if he could.

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Frink, a patent application is a document... not a physical product review [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

If he can patent the "product"... then he can take the design to a "manufacturer" and try to license/sell it to them... and which point, they will actually manufacture it, if they come to an agreement.

Of course, the process in dealing with a manufacturer may go smoother if you actually have a prototype... and as you would expect, there are companies that focus on this type of stuff. There's likely an Agent/Broker involved, etc.

Here's an example patent abstract...

[Frinkenstein]

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right, but he also said he can't manufacture it... if he can't create/manufacture his product, he won't be able to patent it as far as I can tell.

Seems doubtful that he'll be able to sell just his idea to any company. But, it'd be cool if he could.

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Frink, a patent application is a document... not a physical product review [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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Sure, a patent application is a document. I'm not exaclty sure what you're getting at here.

At any rate, I am still maintaining that the OP cannot patent an idea that he has in his head. He will need some sort of physical expression of his idea.

Source: http://www.ipwatchdog.com/protect_idea.html
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Unfortunately, despite what you may have heard, there is absolutely no way to protect an idea through intellectual property law. Copyright protects expression and patent law protects inventions, and neither protect ideas. In both cases the idea is the first critical step, but without an embodiement there can be no intellectual property protection.

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My poking around the internets has indicated that you pretty much need a working prototype of the "product" before it can be patented. Or, at the very least, OP will need detailed designs/specifications.

Also, OP mentioned that his product is adapting an existing technology for a different purpose. As another poster has pointed out, this will may make patenting his product impossible. Although we are given no specifics about the idea so who's to say for sure?

This is also a good read: article
However, the article is quite pessimistic towards OP's chances of selling his product patent to a company.

[Sniper]

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My poking around the internets has indicated that you pretty much need a working prototype of the "product" before it can be patented. Or, at the very least, OP will need detailed designs/specifications.

Also, OP mentioned that his product is adapting an existing technology for a different purpose. As another poster has pointed out, this will may make patenting his product impossible. Although we are given no specifics about the idea so who's to say for sure?

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The key is the design specs... however, I agree with you that the patent process is complicated and a lawyer familar with the process is absolutely essential.

As for the product, if you look at the patent I posted... you will see that it is basically for a pen (or more specifically, a specific way for a pen to work) [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[livinitup0]

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My poking around the internets has indicated that you pretty much need a working prototype of the "product" before it can be patented. Or, at the very least, OP will need detailed designs/specifications.

Also, OP mentioned that his product is adapting an existing technology for a different purpose. As another poster has pointed out, this will may make patenting his product impossible. Although we are given no specifics about the idea so who's to say for sure?

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The key is the design specs... however, I agree with you that the patent process is complicated and a lawyer familar with the process is absolutely essential.

As for the product, if you look at the patent I posted... you will see that it is basically for a pen (or more specifically, a specific way for a pen to work) [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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Has my ticket number come up on the Sniper PM line yet? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[livinitup0]

I think I have a pretty sound product. I gaurantee it would cost next to nothing to manufacture. 75% of the world could and probably "should" use a product like this. It could be huge if marketed right....but....I dont have the experience, knowledge, money or honestly the time to make this a full time endevour.
I guess what Im saying is....I need a partner....or at least some way to ask direct questions about my ideas without running the risk of divulging too much about my product idea to the public.

Any ideas?