8/18/2005

5 Simple Steps to Protect a Patentable Idea

"Coming up with new business ideas is exhilarating. But great ideas are only of value to you if you’ve got a fighting chance at keeping them your own. State and federal intellectual property (IP) laws can help you, but only if you help yourself first.

However, as the driving force behind your start-u it’s quite possible that (1) you haven’t the time to be reading up on IP law, and (2) you’re new business initiative doesn’t not yet have the capital to pay an IP lawyer, especially a patent attorney. If that’s the case, here are a few simple steps that can help you begin to secure potentially valuable IP rights.

1. Keep it secret...
2. Write it down...
3. Get it notarized...
4. See if its been publicly disclosed before...
5. Consider filing a “provisional” patent application...

You’re best served hiring an IP attorney early in the process. But, even if you simply don’t have the resources to do so, you can still take important steps toward obtaining important IP rights."

Read more in this Go BIG Network post by Daniel Tedesco.