  Ravine Member Username: Ravine Post Number: 2005 Registered: 01-2006 |
My wife has a fine idea for an "invention." The invention would be a modification to, or improvement on, an already-existing medical device. It involves plastic, in the sense that production of a prototype would involve plastic being molded into a particular shape. I'm not sure what else to say about it, here, but I am wondering if any of my fellow DY citizens have experience with the "invention" process, involving copyrighting, production, etc. I'm throwing this somewhat broad question out to you all; any comments (or related questions) are heartily welcomed and anxiously anticipated. Naturally, speaking as an inveterate smart-ass, I expect-- and arguably deserve-- a smattering of wisenheimer retorts, and while such replies are not openly encouraged, they are welcome, as well. | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 2959 Registered: 10-2003 |
You don't copyright an invention. You patent it. Do not show your invention to anyone until you patent it. Best to talk to a patent attorney about navigating that process. If you don't patent it anyone you show it to can and will, if it's useful, produce it without compensating you. Even after patenting it expect to have to pay out money to your patent attorney to protect that patent. After you have patented it you can then either look for a buyer of the patent or look for a contract manufacturer to produce it. Medical devices will probably need to be tested by the FDA. That adds another huge cost to the manufacturing of said product. The US Patent and trademark office: http://www.uspto.gov/index.htm l You can search through all the US patents on their site. They have a list of patent attorneys. The list can be searched by location. | ||
Ravine Member Username: Ravine Post Number: 2007 Registered: 01-2006 |
Ndavies: Not "copyright," but "patent." Right. I realized that after I posted. D'oh! Thank you for the reply, advice, and link. | ||
Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera Post Number: 64 Registered: 02-2008 |
Best to make a prototype of your product. Find out who manufactures and sells similar products, send them a letter with a non-disclosure form. If they sign it, many won't, you can show them your product. If they like it they may buy it from you or produce it and pay you a royalty. The problem with trying to do it yourself is that after you spend a lot of money on attorney, patent, samples, packaging...Then you need to sell the item. Very hard to sell one item when the competition has many items to offer to buyers. Buyers don't like to buy a single item from a single vendor if they can avoid it. Best of luck to you. | ||
Jiminnm Member Username: Jiminnm Post Number: 1611 Registered: 02-2005 |
The absolute first thing you should do is to see a good patent attorney. Any good one will have been thru the process many times and can guide you. For example, this site discusses patents obtained by a firm I'm familiar with from Novi (went to law school with the name partner who was previously a patent examiner) - http://www.freshpatents.com/Ca rrier-Blackman-And-Associates- cndirc.php | ||
Eriedearie Member Username: Eriedearie Post Number: 977 Registered: 08-2007 |
Ravine - I worked in patent law for 29 years. If you are interested in contacting an excellent patent attorney I can refer one to you. Let me know on this thread and post your email address. I'll email you with the name. |
