Patent Information for an Innovation

[decoy]

Hey,

I have in mind a great innovation that could help out a lot of fisherman and would be a realitively inexpensive innovation for any company that decided to use it. What steps does someone take to get a patent. How much would getting a patent cost, etc. Do any of you have any info on this? Just wondering if it is worth looking into.

Thanks

[Hooked On a Feeling]

I would hire an "information consultant" who specializes in Intellectual Property, i.e. Patent, copyrights, etc. You don't want to take the chance on interfering with someone else's patent. The couple hundred bucks you spend now could save you thousands later by avoiding a lawsuit.

Hooked

[Moose-Hunter]

Patents can be spendy to get. I have two, and the "cheapest" cost me close to $10,000 after everything was said and done. I went through a patent lawyer which I HIGHLY recommend. And it was worth every penny. They will walk you through the process and give you advice every step of the way. It's the little details only a trained professional knows about that can make or break your application.

[musky hunter]

I am getting into a potentially patentable situation on a machine that I am developing and have been evaluating whether I have a patentable process or not. At some point a provisional patent may be filed. That's the inexpensive one and it protects for only a year, to a certain extent. the advantage is that it helps you get going and buys some time fairly inexpensively.

A full blown patent, with patent searces, can cost thousands. I can't say that a good patent attorney is or isn't needed in your case, it depends on the value of the idea. But in any case, I would check out on line resources to get some background information on filing patents.

Be extermely wary of companies that promise to help you through the process of both patenting and marketing an idea. These companies advertise on tv and their track record absolutely horrible, with most clients only paying fees and getting nothing in return.

Good luck, and keep your idea under wraps.