Question I've had an idea...

Rubber Bullets

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and as I've got no clue what to do next I'm going to ask here.

The idea is for a potential commercial project, and though clearly I trust every one of you implicitly I just can't take the risk that there are unknown people lurking ready to rip off the concept and beat me to it.

So what is my best next step?

The issues as I see it are 1. it may well simply be a crap idea. I think it's good, but then it's mine, and I'm biased!

2. It could be old already. I've done a product search and can't find anything like it, and have done a patent search, and have similarly come up empty handed.

3. If 1. and 2. both go in my favour how can I do anything about it anyway? It's not like I could set up a company to make the thing, unless I got the Dragons involved (and I have vaguely considered it), but could I sell the idea to a current manufacturer in the sector? How do I protect myself from them simply telling me it's shite, and then find it on the market in 6 months?

4. Patents cost £230 at least, and that's if I did everything myself, which I have no skill in. And I would have to try and patent a concept rather than a strict design, as the possibilities are too broad to even try that.

As you can see from above I am basically clueless, but not so naive as to believe that most people think they've got a world stopping idea at some point in their lives, and almost certainly haven't, but can't help thinking what if?? I'm not looking to retire on this by any means, but a few hundred or whatever would be great.

Humour me for a moment, and pretend the idea has legs, what should my next move be?

RB
 

opticle

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This sounds like a great post to put on Kickstarter. :giggle:

Animal, Vegetable or Mineral ?

Is it something you'd have to manufacture ? I.e. a product ?

Can you make a prototype ?

Is it anal beads ? We've got anal beads.

Somewhere within this post is a helpful person trying to get out :)
 

old.Tohtori

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What i've learned is that hiding ideas is useless. Can't really help figure you out how to do it when we don't know if it's a self-cleaning arsewipe from the future, or bread sliced in a 1 degree western angle.
 

Chilly

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I've just started a business myself, feel free to PM me in confidence unless your idea is to do with online property search, in which case I'll rip it off so hard :p
 

opticle

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in which case I'll rip it off so hard :p

orly_owl.jpg
 

Zenith.UK

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Plan and document your idea in clear, unambiguous detail.
If it is something that can be manufactured, come up with a handmade prototype, or even a few prototypes so you can determine how much it will cost in materials, manufacturing, tooling, packaging and distribution.
Once you have a good handle on your idea and how much it would cost to make or develop, go engage a design company that is reputable and that will sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Go find out which R&D companies have a reputation to helping up-coming ideas and start-ups. I only use this one as an *example*, but what they have to say makes sense.
http://www.frippdesign.co.uk/blog/?tag=product-design&paged=3
Particularly this section...
http://www.frippdesign.co.uk/blog/?p=18

Bottom line is don't trust ANYONE if you feel you have the ability to make some cash out of a unique idea. If you're paranoid enough, I'd use a non-networked computer to prepare your design and documents and use PGP to encrypt your intellectual material. Once you put something online, even in a "secure" storage, it has the possibility to be copied.
 

Rubber Bullets

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Hi guys, thanks for the input.

Yes it is something manufactured, I'm not much on diy skills but could probably come up with a prototype or two. Infact two designs do come to mind, I'm not sure how much they'll tell me about costs though as I don't understand any sort of manufacturing, tooling etc. It would seem to be a unique idea in a crowded sector.

Zenith, That's really sound advice, is it aimed at starting up making something or at having something solid to take to an existing manufacturer?

RB
 

Chilly

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Also, most investors will tell you to do one if you ask them to sign an NDA before you tell them about an idea. If it's good, they'll invest, if not they'll jog on or point you in the direction of an interested mate.
 

Zenith.UK

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They sound like they come in when you're starting up making something. What they do is sign the NDA so neither of you can nick the idea, then you can talk openly with them. They'll work with your idea, tell you what works well and what doesn't work so well and help build up the design concept to a point where it can be prototyped. Once you have a good prototype, you've got the basis of an invention for a patent application. If the design company are truly on your side, they'll help put the application through as a co-author with you. Don't expect to make ALL the money off the idea. They'll help you develop and bring a concept to market if it's worthwhile but they'll expect a cut of the profits. You've seen Dragon's Den so you know how VC funding works.

I used to work in a material science lab in the 90's. My immediate superior was a materials technologist and he was a smart cookie. We were working with using sodium phosphate solutions as a binder for sand cores for foundries. When a foundry is casting a complex metal shape with internal cavities, they need to have a sand "core" which can be knocked out. They usually used organic resins cured with noxious gases to set the shapes in sand, and then use vibration to shake it out once the metal was set. By using phosphates to bind the sand, it could be washed out with the same water used to cool the castings.
Here's the patent...
http://www.google.com/patents/EP0553231A1
I was the one who performed the actual tests for all the examples quoted in that patent.
The patent protected the idea while it was being developed until it became a fully fledged product.

The end result is this...
http://ha.typo-live.web-factory.de/Cordis.315.0.html?&L=1
 

Rubber Bullets

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The thing is that this idea is really simple. I could sum it up in 5 words and you would know enough to rip it off entirely. As I said I have a couple of designs in mind but it is less about the design than using what is an existing idea in a whole new way.

I can't help thinking that it would be more realistic to try and sell the concept to a big company already in the sector'but what protection do I have from just getting ripped off?

RB
 

TdC

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is this about the pokey-bum-wank machine? cos I kind of have that covered already dude :/
 

Bahumat

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Is it a way to auto remove your initials from posts?

B
 

old.user4556

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I had this idea once for something called Harvard Connect, but some wee prick called Mark someone pinched it and started some website for harvesting pictures to fap to.
 

Lamp

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TLDR, sorry

Not sure if you can intellectually protect a mere business idea. I think it has to take a physical form to fall under the CDPA (website, product design, creative artwork, etc etc)

Before ploughing tens of thousands into anything, do some bog-standard Dragon's Den methodology. Is there a market? What's the competition? Is this something people will really want? Do they need it? Is it competitively priced? What are your mark-ups? Your start-up costs? Running costs? Staff? Done any projections for 2,3,4,5 years? Need an investor or can you fund it entirely yourself? Approached any buyers? Letters of intent? etc etc etc.
 
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