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Ideas are the steps you create. Everything you see around you was someone’s idea. However, after you come up with an idea for any invention, it needs to be put into motion for you to invent it. Inventions created by you have no initial legal binding and tend to be stolen. If not stolen, someone else could’ve had the same idea and there can be an overlap in the product. You can avoid all of this by taking several steps to protect the invention, and these certain steps are as below.
NDA
NDA is a Non-Disclaimer Agreement and it’s an amazing way to protect your invention. It’s not necessary that your product reaches the market and is then stolen, it can even be stolen during your business pitch. However, there are certain clients and potential investors who won’t want to sign an NDA.
Confidentiality Statements
There are certain cases where the investor or client would refuse to sign an NDA. In such situations, the NDA is let go because investors or clients are the first priority. To overcome this you will need to print a confidentiality statement onto your business plan as well as the presentation. Backing out of such statements is not a feasible plan because then it would make the investor or client liable if anything happens.
Apply for a Patent
A patent is by far the best and first recommendation if you’re looking to safeguard your invention. Applying for a patent is the best way to protect your invention or idea, even though you can’t patent an idea of doing business, you can do so only if it meets specific criteria. If you want to apply for a patent in Orange County, you will get the option of flat fee patents. There are three types of patents: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. The selection of the type of patent depends upon the nature of your idea. A patent provides the necessary ownership for any invention and in case of product overlap, it gives you an upper hand.
Trademark Your Company Name
A trademark serves as an added layer of protection for your invention or idea. Having a trademark is an amazing way to protect your inventions or ideas because a company’s name is tied to its ideas and intentions and it provides ownership. A trademark provides proper documentation of an idea or intention with the necessary details such as date. This proves to be very useful in case any legal issue arises.
Documentation
Documenting everything and having it in hard copy is one of the pro tips for protecting your invention or idea. Put everything in writing from day one because it helps you have a paper trail if anything does go wrong in the near or far future. If things reach court then you can have solid evidence of ownership of the idea or invention and it’s pretty convincing. Having things on paper will give you a great advantage because this way, you have the log from having an idea to the actual invention and this trail can be used in legal matters if it comes to it.
Pitch “Around” the Trade Secret
Many people fear pitching their brilliant ideas or invention because they feel they might attract unwanted attention or the possibility that they can be stolen. Pitching around the trade secret is a pretty slick move to ensure your idea isn’t stolen. The client or investor doesn’t need to know the trade secret so you don’t have to be an open book while pitching. Keep the critical components as discreet as possible and refrain from sharing information that can be used to create an identical product.
Steal from Yourself
Stealing from yourself is one of the best ways to know your weakness. Try to think from a different perspective and look at your product like a thief would. Notice all the weak points of the invention on how it can be copied whether it be design or color. Find loopholes to go through everything and then cover them up later to ensure your invention is as steal-proof as possible. This will give you a greater insight into how a thief might think to copy your invention or steal it.
The odds aren’t that your invention will be stolen for sure but also not that you’re completely safe. Just know these certain things and try to work within these parameters if you want to make sure your invention is as safe as possible. The tips mentioned above will ensure you don’t fall victim to theft and successfully launch your invention. These tips contain legal as well as conventional methods to protect your invention.
