I've had a fantastic idea and would like advice on what to do with it.

[Ming]

I've been getting complaints about "your kind" of humour lately... So again... keep it up, and you will get restricted.

[Dis]

if you lived in the U.S. you could get some actual money for it. But maybe not where you life

[Solly]

Yes well, invention is driven by necessity isn't it Ming

[Bereta_Eder]

Yavol Ming

[Boris Godunov]

That's "jawohl," sweinhundt.

And I believe your idea already exists, patty...

[Provost Harrison]

Yeah Boris, they are called women (although some opt for a slightly anatomically different version ).

Well I'm not going to tell you what the idea is yet, of course. I don't want any of you lot making millions on my brilliant idea

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Yeah Boris, they are called women (although some opt for a slightly anatomically different version ).

Erm...no. These things have batteries...

[JohnT]

In all seriousness, it really does depend upon the idea/product, PH.

So, let's ask a few questions that will possibly help us help you:

1. Is your idea for a service or a product?
2. Is your product or service aimed at a specific market (men, preteen children, menstruating women, whatever)?
3. Is your product designed to fulfill an existing need, or create a need as yet unknown?

I'll think of others... I've got an interview to go to.

[JohnT]

Oh, this might help: http://www.patentcafe.com, especially the Inventor's Cafe.

[Stefu]

Why don't you just tell the idea already? Then we can rip off advise you properly.

[Provost Harrison]

I've already told you Stefu, edible toilet paper

Thanks JohnT, the first sensible thing said in this thread (except my own post). I shall check it out!

[JohnT]

Your posts are sensible?

You're welcome.

[Ben Kenobi]

File a patent once you have everything figured out, the design, etc.

Chances are if you've thought of it, someone else has done so already.

If no one else has a patent, that's a bonus!


I don't know if it's different in the US from the UK regarding patent restrictions, or filing regulations.

It's best to file a patent as soon as possible- look at some inventions where two people develop the same idea simultaneously, where one person gets the credit because they filed first.

So good luck PH.

[FrustratedPoet]

You want advice on what to do with edible toilet paper?

I'm not giving you any advice on that, shove it up your arse!

[Urban Ranger]

I think you are looking at patents - you can either patent a device or a process. First thing you need to do is to find out what requirements there are for a patent. For a device, you probably need a prototype. For a process, you probably need to have a good decription of how it works.

The requirements are different country to country, but I strongly advice you to get one in the US. Their patent office is run by silly doofuses who actually allow people to patent perpetual motion machines (with slightly different wordings).

Anyway, then you need to find if somebody else has already beat you to it, so you probably need to retain the services of a patent lawyer at that point. Now, what you may be able to do is to draft up a nice business plan to lure some venture capitalist to fund you the whole thing. Then you get to play with other people's money, which is always fun.