Inventions

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Hpacres440p

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Dec 14, 2019
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McGregor, Tx
I know there are a lot of smart and innovative by necessity people on this board. Has anyone patented a device they created? We have submitted a provisional patent (so now patent pending) for something that we developed out of need for caring for Mom. Share your experience if you’ve gone the patent route, please!😁
 
I have not. But I understand a poor man’s way of a patent is to send yourself the plans in an envelope through the mail and never open it. The time and date stamp proofs date you had the idea. Not sure how much this works in a court but…….
 
I knew a woman that invented and patented a couple of board games. Nobody bought the patent or marketed her games, but lo and behold her games came to market with such minor changes as to avoid patent lawsuits. So not sure what a patent is really worth if people can use your idea and just work around the patent.
 
I took a class on in while in college, provisional patent is the start of the process and gets you locked in. It used to be first to conceive the idea, but I believe they transitioned to first to file?

The provisional gives you time to vet your idea more and see if it is worth going through the legal process of filing a full patent which requires $$, almost anyone can do a provisional if I remember correctly.
 
A patent is only worth what you're willing to spend to protect it. Big companies have deep pockets, and overseas companies won't respect it. You'll find dozens of copies on amazon and temu within a few months of their discovering your product if it's at all successful.
 
Mrcopier said:
I have not. But I understand a poor man's way of a patent is to send yourself the plans in an envelope through the mail and never open it. The time and date stamp proofs date you had the idea. Not sure how much this works in a court but…….
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LOL Someone fed you a load of garbage. Having an idea doesn't mean anything.
 
Mrcopier said:
I have not. But I understand a poor man's way of a patent is to send yourself the plans in an envelope through the mail and never open it. The time and date stamp proofs date you had the idea. Not sure how much this works in a court but…….
Click to expand...

Yeah I just looked it up, in 2013 the US went to first to file rights on patents, so your dated mail won't be worth a hill of beans when it comes to Patents in the US 😁
 
Moparmaniac07 said:
A patent is only worth what you're willing to spend to protect it. Big companies have deep pockets, and overseas companies won't respect it. You'll find dozens of copies on amazon and temu within a few months of their discovering your product if it's at all successful.
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If it’s successful then it will help a lot of folks.
 
Moparmaniac07 said:
A patent is only worth what you're willing to spend to protect it. Big companies have deep pockets, and overseas companies won't respect it. You'll find dozens of copies on amazon and temu within a few months of their discovering your product if it's at all successful.
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Our road commissioner invented 15” corn heads and his own style of chopping knife rolls. He sued John Deere for patent infringement and won.
Super nice guy and has been very successful with his company.
 
Hpacres440p said:
I know there are a lot of smart and innovative by necessity people on this board. Has anyone patented a device they created? We have submitted a provisional patent (so now patent pending) for something that we developed out of need for caring for Mom. Share your experience if you've gone the patent route, please!😁
Click to expand...
Per some of the comments here, I'd be insisting on signed non-disclosure agreements if I were trying to market any product with a patent, pending or fully granted.
 
Many years ago, my grandfather had a patent filled.

He was a type setter at RR Donnelly 's in Chicago - hint on how long ago it was. He was a very articulate man. He figured a new way to do his job easier. Filed and was accepted. Present it to the boss. His idea was phased out before it started. New printing machines ended his fortune before he was paid for his idea.
 
Hpacres440p said:
Sounds like you've been in this boat? When doing beta testing with known users only, do you do an NDA there also? I assume so, but…?
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once the product is developed you have less of an issue. It's in the concept/development side where you have to be most careful. I once had a fairly close relationship with the owners of what has become the largest trade software provider in the country now. I had asked for a feature they didn't have at that point, nor did they know how to create it. They told me they may be able to do what I wanted and could I send them a copy of what I used at that point. Since they were "friends" I thought nothing of it and sent them the info. They called me 2 weeks later and told me, they could not make it work. I said ok and didn't think much of it and 3 months later I saw an ad in a trade magazine with "their" newly developed feature and they posted a picture of it and the one thing they forgot to do was take my company name off of the front document. It has been sold to thousands of companies. I've never been paid a nickel for it. Since I "gave" it to them with no stipulations there was little that could be done. I never send anything anywhere anymore nor do I discuss much in the way of intellectual properties without an NDA. You will end up giving all of you efforts away when you do
 
There are people who invent stuff every day. Elizabeth Cotton showed us that the guitar could be played upside down, but she didn’t brag about it.
 

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