[mideerslayer]

I had 5 idea's pop into my head yesterday waiting at the dr's office with the wife

What is a good way to go about exploring to see if these ideas are worth prosuing?(sp)

all hunting related

 

[buckeye dan]

Well the first step is to file a patent application. After that you can talk to folks and see what they say.

 

[StoredEnergy]

No! The first step is to go to the USPTO (patent and trademark office) and search to see if your idea has already been patented. Or you can pay someone else to do the search for you. Be prepared to learn lawyer-ese because the text in patents is written to be difficult to understand.

US Patents typically cost from $4000 to $8,000 or more each.

Good luck with your idea!

 

[Guide Girl]

Yep, What Stored Energy said but I paid with fees and someone else to do the search, license, legal fees, drawings and description, etc $10,000.00 in 1995? But there are two types of patents. Depends on if your idea is mechanical or design. Then you have to pay to keep up the patent. I think mine is 59550**. A design patent is cheaper, but less protection. Also, that's just for the USA and not worldwide on the patent protection. You can pay more and have it protected in other countries too.

 

[buckeye dan]

You can file a provisional patent for $80 no? That reserves the patent process for the idea and gives you 1 year to file while you research does it not?

 

[oldbhtrnewequip]

You can file a provisional patent for $80 no? That reserves the patent process for the idea and gives you 1 year to file while you research does it not?

exactly....but keep in mind that that is no walk in the park.
you don't have to have a patent "approved", but filed, for the purposes of protecting your idea.

Also the advice of spending a little time to figure out whether someone else already thought it up or not is not a bad idea.

It will however cost you a chunk of change when you decide to go for it.

Good Luck

Pete