Idea protection

I've heard that a bunch Gordym, but I watched some online videos from the patent office explaning the cost and timing of the process a few months ago, and the two very dry gentlemen literally turned to each other and laughed when describing that method.  I think it's an old wives tale.  They did say to keep a journal and get it notarized from time to time when you're writing a new invention, but in this day and age of the internet it's hard to share and get feedback without being fully protected.  I think I'm stuck between a rock and a Chinese knockoff of that rock at 1/3 the price.

I'm amazed at what everyone is suggesting, not to mention how far off of the mark they are.

Prior art is a way to show something has already appeared in the public domain (or has previously been patented), and therefore cannot be patented (at least in its current form).  With the recent changes in patent law, it's whomever files (and is granted) a patent first.  In years past, you could keep a notarized engineering notebook of your designs to show you invented something first, but those days are gone.

You have one year from introduction to the public to fully patent your idea, but you'll want to get a provisional patent in the meantime.  Sending yourself everything in a sealed and dated envelope doesn't hold water, unfortunately.  The process can be done yourself for a few thousand $s as an individual or sole proprietorship... but there's a reason lawyers are involved in the patent process (the wording of a patent is of the utmost importance to preventing gaping holes someone can design around), which raises the cost very quickly into the $15-25k range.

If the invention is unique... do NOT share pictures of it, describe its operation, or even talk to others about any details unless you have a signed NDA in your possession from everyone privy to that info.

Good luck!

A great TED talk on patents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1s_PybOuY0

It's basically explaining that all ideas are remixes of old ones and that patents stifle creativity. It also has some funny contradicting Steve Jobs quotes.

Yeah I've seen that TED talk, and I'm one of the biggest Steve Jobs downplayers around, I know everything he did was stolen, modified, and marketed.  Steve Jobs was a world class marketing genius, but he never invented a single thing. 

You have to defend it if it's a big enough idea for someone to steal and reproduce, my inventions are not game changers in that respect.  There's a decent chance that someone overseas could want to produce it, but at that point it would only be after seeing my success, at which time I should have the money to defend if necessary. 

The thing that I'm in awe about every day since getting my SD is that I can be sitting on my couch and come up with an idea, since I'm fluent in Solidworks and have 15yrs engineering background, I can model up that idea in 10-15 minutes and start the print.  From the time the idea pops into my head to the time I'm holding the working model in my hand is a couple hours, and if I want to change something I've got the second generation in my hand a few hours later.  The amount of time and expense this machine has eliminated is just mindblowing.  I literally have a plastic bag in my car with 6 working prototypes of inventions I've been kicking around for years but the cost and the thought of how to protect the idea during the process of having prototypes made has kept me from moving forward. 

The issue that I have from here is where do I go next, I know there's a mountain of information about it on the internet and in the link you provided, but with a full time job, an hour commute and 3 kids, my time is very limited.  I'm thinking my sleeping is going to take a hit just so I have a chance to do more research on how to move forward.

The US patent law is changing in March from a 'first to invent' to a 'first to file' structure. Under the new law, if two inventors independently create the same invention, the first to file a patent application will get the patent, regardless of which one was the first inventor. If you show your invention to someone and they then file a patent on it the patent protection applies to them, not to you.

Reading a patent often just gives people ideas on how to solve the same problem another way and so your patent may not be preventing anyone from selling a similar product.

To make an actual product it is often difficult to do so without violating someones patent. Large companies have portfolios of patents and they often trade or sell access. It is very difficult for a small organization to successfully defend a patent against a large company.

just sounds like a scam being perpetrated by the patent office to force people into patenting a good idea.
if you can prove prior knowledge that should be sufficient.

I wouldn't really worry about a patent until you have something that's actually worth the effort. You talk about protecting your design. The best way to do that is "Keep you mouth shut!" Sorry, I'm not trying to be smart. Most things are stolen because the person inventing them is so excited they start showing and bragging about what they are working on. There are people everywhere looking to take someone else's work and run with it.

The old World War II saying plays here also: "Loose lips sink ships." You have the machine to work on in private. Until you are really ready to try and produce it don't go telling or showing anything to anyone. In a lot of cases the cost of a patent isn't worth the effort unless your return would be in the millions. Getting a product out to market fast, make a profit and move on. You'll end up with more of the money in your pocket instead of the lawyers pocket.

Prior art can invalidate a patent though, if you can prove prior art to someone else's patent.

'Small amounts of money' is relative and it depends. Am I thriving with a growing company and an individual or two is making a few thousand here and there off of my products? I probably wouldn't care at all. Is an individual or small business gaining similar size to me at just a few thousands dollars? I probably would care.

The discussion of idea men/women is similar to that of artists/creative types. Companies need the ideas and art but they seem to regard the individuals that provide them as if the company could do without them. That's why I stopped drawing.