selling ideas

[rodman]

I would like to sell my product ideas to companies. I do not want to make the products, I just want to sell the ideas.
Can I protect my ideas and sell them even
if they are not patented? Such as suggesting a particular material or suggesting a licensing agreement with another company to
expand a product line.

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rodman:
I would like to sell my product ideas to companies. I do not want to make the products, I just want to sell the ideas.
Can I protect my ideas and sell them even
if they are not patented? Such as suggesting a particular material or suggesting a licensing agreement with another company to
expand a product line.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

As you are aware, "ideas" and "processes" are not copyrightable under the U.S. Copyright Act - - so that gets rid of one type of protection; however, ideas and processes are, in fact, "patentable." Other than the patent process, there really is no other secure procedure from theft of your ideas and processes. And, of course, the attendant costs of the patent process can be prohibitive, and there is a good chance, as you know, that such costs (let alone a profit) may never be recouped or realized once you offer the ideas for sale.

Here is an excerpt from United State Code Title 35 (Patents)

Sec. 101. Inventions patentable

"Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title."

For more information, go to: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/35/ch10.html

Best of fortune to you.

IAAL


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[Tracey]

Actually, IAAL, ideas cannot be patented. An idea must be "reduced to pracice" before a patent will issue. Reduction to practice means that you have specified the details enough that someone could read your patent and manufacture/implement the idea. A pedantic difference, I know, but my patent professor harped on it ad naseum. Now I share the experience with you .

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This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws.