Intellectual Property questions

[cellovan]

What is the name of your state? Hi. I live in Texas, and I've got three quick and interrelated questions.
I've got some ideas for inventions but I need to find investors just to be able to afford the patent process. How do I protect my ideas while I'm approaching investors, before I get a patent?
Also, I've got a couple of ideas for businesses and need to raise venture capital. How do I protect those ideas while I'm approaching investors?
And lastly, I've got an idea for a product that can be copyrighted, but I need to do market research and raise venture capital before I complete the creation of the product, and therefore before I could copyright the complete product. While I'm raising money for this venture and doing the marketing research, how do I protect this idea?

 

[ALawyer]

Get real.

Ideas are a dime a dozen. They are generally worthless until and unless they can be turned into an invention frpom which money will be made. Have you tried a patent search on the Internet?

You could ask family and friends to "trust you" but it is doubtful they would absent some record of success. Or you could bootstrap the ideal into an invention yourself and ten show it under a non-disclosure agreement (which may or may not be wot the paper it is printed on).

Read a book on business plans and anoter one on venture capital before proceeding.

DO NOT fall prey to the so called patent invention / development firms -- they are usually bad scams.