Idea copyrights, need legal idea/advice
Hi all,
I’ve had this cool idea for 2 years now but haven’t got time/will to materialize it.
Now, I’m thinking about going public with it and ask for community’s help but what I’m really worried about is some company stealing it.
Can anyone please help me and advise how to make sure the idea is registered in some way but to avoid patent mish-mash as we all know, patent system is broken.
You are describing a tool that you need which is called a Patent. If you don’t want to use the patent system and you make a product, expect anyone to mimic it in case it’s a good idea.
+1.
This man speaks the truth.
Copyright is for design/shape/text. It’s automatically active the moment you create something. So, If you write an article on your blog, the text is copyrighted to protect your work. This can only happen with something you have created/produced.
Patents are designed to protect ideas, and in theory should prove you are able to build something. They cost a lot, and make the system you invented publicly available, but protected by law for a period of time. They are there to ensure the inventor has a period of time to make money, before the patent becomes public domain.
Both patents and copyright have ridiculously long protection eras these days. To give you perspective, Disney’s Mickey Mouse is STILL under copyright after 90 odd years!
The issues with patents and copyright are a whole other post!
put it all down on paper, hire a lawyer, both of you sign and date it. and place it in the lawyers safe. then in the event it’s need. voila! proof it was yours.
or just get the patent
This.
Note also that usually ideas are cheap - everybody has lots of great ideas and it is easy to come up with more. Execution and realization of ideas is what makes them valuable.
For example, Friendster came up with the idea of social networks long before Facebook did, but Facebook executed better and is now worth billions, while Friendster is dead.
Having said that, if you truely believe that the idea is worth it, then patent it. If you never implement the idea though, please don’t lock others who have the same idea out by protecting it - only do this if you genuinely plan on implementing it in the reasonably near future, just that you can’t do it right now. Too much innovation has been lost (especially in software) because things get patented by people who have no intention of actually using them for something other than sueing people who “infringe”.
whats your idea and I might be able to help you patent it 
You need a patent lawyer.
Thanks for the quality info. I forgot to describe my idea, sorry for that, it was quite late when I made the post.
Basically the idea is something along the lines of those two that surfaced few months ago:
I really enjoyed both the “iPhone gyroscope” and “hacked bluetooth headset” solution but I think my idea is more DIY friendly and still does not require special vinyl and soundcard with PHONO inputs.
I’m not planning on making a commercial product out of it and that is the main reason I’d hate to see someone stealing it and making money out of it.
im not sure how this may work if you are using an idea already out, the people that made the iphone, bluetooth versions… there is some loophole against using other peoples products to try and patent, if you use an iphone expect apple to get lawyers etc..
The costly part with patent applications is figuring out prior work – not that the US Patent office has a web site for searching as well as you could do generic Internet searches.
If you have a friendly connection to a company working with DJ gear – assuming they will not go behind your back – you could always work with them.
You are allowed to create derivative work from patents. For example, If you do something that improves or builds on the patented work, you can then patent that.
Hm, but can it be licensed in some way? Something like CreativeCommons license does?
A patent just means you control the rights. You can keep those rights, but not enforce them just as Google did with WebM video codecs. I’m not sure if you can attach an open license (like GNU or Apache) though.
Another thing to remember is trademarks. You have to register them, and enforce them to keep hold of it. Which is why companies come down hard when their logo is misused.
Hm, thanks. I guess I’ll just have to release it to the public as-is. Ok, after I find a patent-lawyer and have a little discussion.
Thanks guys.