Invention

[Mickyrob89]

Hi guys. I have come up with a great invention and have a working prototype my problem is that I have no idea where to go from here.
Who do I show the prototype to?
Is there any funding availability? If so who can I trust?
How do I protect my idea?
Is there aby cost involved in protecting it?

 

[Scalloway]

Patenting your invention

https://www.gov.uk/patent-your-invention

 

[Mickyrob89]

Thankyou

 

[Christopher Peters]

get some users on to test it, dont spend too much on developing the product until you have more feedback

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Can you afford to patent it, in my day about £3000

Can you afford to fight a large company who copies your patent, if not the patent is not worth anything to you unless you sell it to a bigger firm

Do you want to make it yourself or give a licence for a small percentage of the profit a company makes by making and selling it themselves

if you want to licence it approach companies you feel it would fit in with their present products but not ones that are so close it would negate their sales in there own products

 

[TomJ83]

As has been mentioned in this thread, you need to get the product tested. Is there a market for a product based on your patent idea? It could be that you have the best idea in the world, but if people are not willing to buy the end product it will be a waste of time and money to patent it.

If you've done a market research and everything seems good, then go ahead and patent it. But keep in mind that just having a patent will not prevent others from breaching your patent and selling the same product. So you will certainly have to budget for legal costs on top of the costs of obtaining a patent (a professionally drafted application costs between £3000 and £6000).

Best of luck!