h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Right then, I have spent hours surfing for a site that can offer advice and help with progressing an Invention. I know! but seriously, every site I went to wanted money or a contract up front

All I need is for some one to point me in the direction of a serious company who can help me. My invention is for disabled people, or folk with back problems (like myself)There is nothing like it available, and yet its so simple its unreal! and would cost little to produce.

I hope you can help, as you have in the past
Smudger,

Where are you based Smudger?

Hi GW Fife in Scotland.
Smudger,

Try here then, http://www.patent.gov.uk/, there's a lot of good advice, and if it's help in developing your invention, why not try your local technical college?

Thanks for that GW
On my way there right now, I was having a quick look at your home page, its
Smudger,

If your local college can't help, try looking in Yellow Pages for small, local companies that work in the material you want to use for your gadget, ie, plastics, steel etc and try them.

Trouble is GW, as soon as I explain my idea to any one else I have lost my right to Patent it, by disclosure, according to that site Ive just been to
Smdger,

That's right. If you say anything you lose your chance to patent.

However, even if you do successfully patent something people can still rip you off because you'll find it almost impossible to protect your patent. You'll get little/no help from officials.

Many useful ideas by independent individuals have been bought by big companies who only want to suppress them - and of course they are the groups who *can* afford to defend an idea from being used by anyone else. All in all it's a very bad system which has been allowed to be exploited to maximise evil and minimise good.

Smudger, you don't have to actually have made one to patent it so if you're like that famous Irishman, Pat Pending, you should be all right.

Like I said, try local, small companies, or even ask around in the pub, you may find someone who can help. You could also see a solicitor who could draw up a confidentiality agreement, a legally binding document which wouldn't disqualify you from getting a patent. I don't think that costs all that much, at work ours are done by an in-house team.

Your right about big companies buying up god ideas, I saw a TV prog recently where the man that invented the wind up radio was showing off other inventions he had to the presenter.
He was OK about it, as the ideas had been bought up by one such company but never utilised

Which was a shame really, as all his inventions were to help people with missing limbs.

Its ging to be hard to talk to anyone about it, if I cant explain it to them first or show them my drawings of it.

No wonder people give up, as you say the system is all wrong!
Smudger,

I have a bad back Smudger as a result of an auto accident. I hope you're successful. I'll be your first customer.

Hi Wolfgang, My back injury was caused by a bad fall at work over 5 yrs ago now?
Ive made a couple of grippers for gardening and the like, as the ones you can buy are not strong enough.
Its amazing just how much a back injury can change your entire life Eh?
Smudger,

Here's what happens:


You patent the invention.

A big company steals the idea.

You sue them.

They win because they've got more money.


Anyway, you can get free patent advice from the Chartered Institute Of Patent Agents clinics:

http://www.cipa.org.uk/who_are_we/clinics.htm

That sounds about right Spinks

Thanks for the link any way, I notice there is not one in Scotland though
Smudger,

There are some people who've found clever ways to protect their ideas. I heard of one lady who collected a team of lawyers and promised them a percentage of her profits in return for protecting/defending her invention in the event of theft.

Is there a 'neighbourhood engineers' group in your area? I don't know if they could help you at all. In our area, they are volunteers who custom make aids for disabled people. So they might help with constructing a sample model, if that's what you want.

Have you read the entry about clockwork radios? A810154 - near the end it provides a link to a site to assist inventors: the Trevor Bayliss Foundation http://www.thetbf.org/

Caractacus Potts

Hi Folks, Thanks for all your posts
I have just read an E-Mail that I got from the Patent Office that some one on here gave the address of, and it looks like al you dofor the first twelve momths in fork out around £1200 on vasrious fees to guide your Patent through the system

Even after that you have to make and produce a working model as well as fully detailed drwaings & sketches. So I think I will give it all a miss? as it seems a lot of money to lay out(especialy when you havent got any) and even as they said there is no gaurantee that you invention will be mass produced.

It looks like a rich persons game to play, and you have to well in with the big boys to be allowed to play
Smudger,