Patents?

[buddy]

Hi Guys,

I have a proven energy saving idea for supermarket application that doesn't involve any physical machinery or equipment.

I have done extensive research and have not come across this idea being applied on any continent.
The idea is basically using existing controls in a different manner to achieve the energy saving, so it is very cost effective for the equipment owner/end user.

In legal terms I suspect it would labelled "intellectual property"

Question?

Where and who would be the best cost effective way of registering my idea without the risk of it being stolen?

Most patent lawyers fees are a joke, so I have ruled them out.

Assuming the idea gets patented to protect myself in case of infringement I have already posted the idea to myself just in case it ever goes to court I have a post dated stamp on the envelope to open up in front of a judge.

Any ideas where to go with this Guys?

best regards

[mad fridgie]

been down this track a number of times.
1. Copy your idea to a solicitor (he signs it and keeps a copy). This means you can us it if some one else patents it.
2. You can patent yourself. (would suggest that get hold of another patent to see how it is written)
3. make it detailed enough to cover your point of difference, not too detailed that a small change will make your patent obsolete. Neither make to vague and broad that it covers everything.
4. If it is a control idea, you have to be very careful that what you are thinking of is not being used elsewhere in a different guise and then can be deemed as in the public domain.
5. This also very important, are you self employed? If not the idea may not even be yours, it belongs to the company that you work for! They are paying you to think!
So if you think this is a winner, resign from your job, then send to legal eagles (dated after you have quit)
Get a money person behind you. (if you have no money then you will get F****D) or go to a major supply company get them to sign a NDA, give them the idea, which they can not use, let them evaluate and do the patent, sort out some of payment.
I would think if it is only a control concept, then you are unlikely to prove originality.
So without giving it away, would it fall basically into the following.
Floating cabinet set point (changing temp to suit various criteria)
Floating Pressures on the refrig systems
Pulsing motors.
the three above are very ambiguous, but covers a multiple of sins

[mad fridgie]

Forgot to say; do have 100,000 in cash lying a round, if not you will never win a patent case, against a larger company.

[Abe]

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/

All you need to know

[Scramjetman]

Two alternative ways to look at IP -

1. Use of "speed to market". You develop it and test it. Then hit the market hard and stick a whole stack of them in before all the rest of us figure out what you are doing and how you are doing it. You essentially surprise the market and take all the cream to the bank in the expectation that eventually someone will reverse engineer it. No patents, no lawyers and of course very little cost. With patents you need to have the muscle and the will to fight to protect it. If you don't, even if you have been through the expensive patent process, someone with deep pockets and who is willing to take a gamble, will likely steal it anyway.

It's not really protecting the IP but more like a cost effective way to make money from the IP. ( ...more than one way to skin a cat - sorry animal lovers about the use of the cliche')

2. Lock up the process and keep it secret. Like Coca Cola Recipe or KFC recipe. Just don't tell anyone how or what you are doing and create an arrangement where, if it is tampered with, the equipment will no longer work and your technology is destroyed so that it can't be reverse engineered.

[desA]

Registered designs cost less to enforce, I'm led to believe.

Place a hidden 'key' inside the gadget, so that any smart-alec will miss the important part & the thing won't work without your key.

A naughty trick with software is to place a few 'bombs' inside the code which bring in slight variations to the answers, if the license expires etc. The end user is non the wiser & his designs won't work properly. Hahaha...

[buddy]

Phew, it certainly is a minefield out there.

Plenty of food for thought.

Thank you very much for you input guys.