With all the crafty, creative, talented and pleasantly eccentric members we have here at FHC, has anyone ever went through the steps to get a patent, copyright or other protection of your brilliance? Or have you known someone who has? How difficult is it and what costs are there? I don't have an idea or invention but what brings this up is our juvenile humor at work for stating the obvious and saying we should patent that idea.
yes I have two partials, but both through my employer. they pay me a % for them, which accelerates should employment end through no fault of my own. Bunch of legal BS - corporate lawyers took care of that stuff. There's a couple things I did before they started the program that were implemented throughout the fleet that I never received compensation for.
I should add that most folks think a patent only revolves around a physical change to processes - it doesn't most folks see APP s on their phone for the reason of wasting time The app's I created(or had a hand in) are for internal messaging - so higher brass has an alert that things aren't within tolerance
I have quite a few inventions but won't patent them since I generally create things just to make my life a little easier. At one time though, I had the opportunity to work with a scientist where he would come up with an idea and I would create a working model. I know for sure of two things he patented and marketed that I had a hand in. But for me, I have no interest in making whatever monies from my inventions and don't want to go through the hassle of getting something patented or the notoriety that would come from them. That is also one reason why I make sure NOT to take pictures of whatever item. I don't want to make money off my inventions, and I really don't want someone else making money off of my inventions either. I made the mistake of posting a picture of one such invention in a forum where someone took that picture and duplicated the invention, applied for a patent and had already marketed the item. I only found out about it accidentally a couple of years later in searching for something unrelated. You know how Google Search is! If the guy makes a million, good for him. I don't care in that respect. I'll just count it as a lesson learned. So while I won't patent any of my inventions, I surely don't want someone else patenting any of mine either, or making money from them. However, if you have an invention that you believe in, and feel part or all the population of the world could benefit from it, then by all means, go through the paces and get it patented. Who knows, maybe you'd be the next Gill Gates!
Only ever done the "Poor man's Patent", never anything official. Mostly revolve around small scale niche ideas. I do have one that would have mass market appeal but I haven't proceeded with it. But you know my motto... "Procrastinators unite..........tomorrow."
