Protecting my Website Ideas

[smittod]

I have about 5 different ideas for websites that I think could be very profitable. The problem is, I don't have enough time to do all the programming to build all these sites. I thought the best thing I could do is sell the ideas to other programmers, who could build the sites, and I would retain a percentage of the company and take my share of the profits.

How can I protect my website ideas, and offer them to other programmers without worrying about them turning me down and then building their own site using my idea behind my back?

 

[ALawyer]

Everyone has ideas, some good, some passible, and most poor or bad.

Every once in a while there is a GREAT idea, that with lots of work and effort and investment becomes a great invention or breaktrhu or business.

If you think it is totally novel the best way to protect it would be to try to patent it as an invention, such as of a new process. Reads the section on Patents on FreeAdvice.com. Another approach would be to have them sign a non-disclosure agreement, but few people will commit to paying you something for an idea that may be bogus or not original or one they may have thought of themselves.

Few people ever make money selling "ideas". That's the plain fact. They make money by creating businesses with their ideas, and putting in the time and effort and capital to make them happen.

 

[smittod]

I don't want to sell my ideas. I realize that's what I said in my first post, but it's not what I meant. I want to give them away for free, to anyone who wants to try to build the site. But I want part of the profits of the resulting business.

[Edited by smittod on 01-01-2001 at 09:55 PM]

 

[lawrat]

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information,not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

Then you need to sell your ideas into a tangible form -- proposals and the like - sufficient enough to copyright. THen you assign for a huge income upfront or license at a certain rate or bring in others as a business plan but split copyright among the members (paperwork needed for all of this). And most importantly, don't forget about non disclosure agreements of your PROPRIETARY INFORMATION before you discuss ANYTHING with any of these people.