New website idea protection

[adreano17]

"Maryland" I am looking to start an online social tool, but before I speak to investors, I would like to protect my ideas before speaking to them and presenting a business plan. What do you suggest I get to protect my idea from being stolen?

Thanks

 

[quincy]

"Maryland" I am looking to start an online social tool, but before I speak to investors, I would like to protect my ideas before speaking to them and presenting a business plan. What do you suggest I get to protect my idea from being stolen?

Thanks

Having the investors sign a non-disclosure agreement prior to you speaking to them of your online social tool can protect your idea - to an extent, at any rate.

Nothing can really prevent someone from stealing your idea. With a non-disclosure agreement in place, however, you will have legal recourse where otherwise you wouldn't.

 

[adreano17]

Having the investors sign a non-disclosure agreement prior to you speaking to them of your online social tool can protect your idea - to an extent, at any rate.

Nothing can really prevent someone from stealing your idea. With a non-disclosure agreement in place, however, you will have legal recourse where otherwise you wouldn't.

Wouldn't that be useful in addition to something that formally is recognized by law as being your own idea such as a copyright? It just doesn't seem like that is enough if passed on to other parties and created in their name. I don't think I would have any leverage at this point.

 

[quincy]

Wouldn't that be useful in addition to something that formally is recognized by law as being your own idea such as a copyright? It just doesn't seem like that is enough if passed on to other parties and created in their name. I don't think I would have any leverage at this point.

Once an original and creative idea has been fixed in a tangible form (written down, drawn, recorded, whatever), it automatically has protection under copyright laws and legal recourse against an infringer can be available to the copyright holder. Prior to fixing the idea in a tangible form, however, an idea is not copyright-protectable. Anyone can take the idea and express this idea in their own way.

If you have an original and creative idea that you have not yet expressed in a tangible form, and you wish to discuss this idea with others prior to taking the time or spending the money or making an effort to fix this idea in written form or in a drawing, a non-disclosure agreement could potentially work to keep your idea and how you intend to express this idea, confidential.

What a non-disclosure agreement can't do is prevent someone else from coming up with the same idea, or from taking your idea and expressing it in their own way. Ideas on their own are offered very little protection under the law.

There have been cases where, for example, ideas for television series or movies have been discussed and infringement actions have later been filed by the individuals who came up with the ideas. Unfortunately for the idea-creators, these suits are generally not decided in their favor, even when the resulting television series or movies have had similarities to the ideas earlier discussed.

It is generally best for those who have clever ideas to fix those ideas in a form that can offer them protection - a fleshed out story with characters and plot, a rough-draft drawing for a sculpture or painting, a first-episode of a proposed series written out, a diagram of a proposed invention. Once fixed in tangible form, a non-disclosure agreement can add to the protection these initial expressions of the ideas might have.