Protecting a new business idea from being stolen

[mark amy]

Hello,

 

If you have a good idea for a business, is there any way you can protect the

idea and prove that you came up with it first? I think I have one, but how can I

stop a larger company from doing exactly the same thing as soon as put my idea

out there?

 

Thanks for any advice.

Mark

[leicaglow]

You have to patent it. See USPTO.gov.

[bobatkins]

You can't patent an idea as such, only a product or process that has been reduced to practice.

 

If your idea is to open a Scoch Tape Boutique, there's no way you can protect the idea. If your idea is to sell a better moustrap, you can patent the mousetrap.

[mark amy]

Thanks, I've done some more research and for what I have in mind, the common advice seems to be to just get the business going and build up a good customer base. Guess I should just concentrate on getting the business up and running.

[Leonard-just-Leonard]

Regardless of the 'idea' or business process, the LAST thing you would want to do is approach any Patent or Invention company that advertises on TV.

 

You can protect/register a Trademark, Copyright, Industrial Design and so on. Some of the largest companies in the world are being targeted with conterfeits, knock-offs and other scams even with legal protection.

 

Some business plans may involve getting into the market, flood it with you product and let the inevitable copy-cats take what is left. You make your mark as THE Original for whatever you have in mind and imprint that on the public.

 

Just look at Reality TV over the past few years. Not one original idea just cheap knock offs or slight alterations of Survivor.

[J.W. Wall]

Speak with an attorney who knows the area.

[robert_kress1]

Unfortunately, the reality is you can't stop a larger company from using your concept. Sure, if you have a process, product, etc. that you patent/trademark you get some protection but litigation in this area is ugly and very, very expensive. How you win with an idea is to be better than your compeition. Many times a larger company will be "set in their ways" so they may want to do your idea but likely won't be as committed to it as you and won't be able to do it as well.

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Rob

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[mark amy]

Thanks all. Yes, I'm afraid that's all I have at the moment...a concept. I think what I might do is, once everything is set up and I launch my website, I'll market it and publicize it as much as I can and describe how it came about and then at least that's some kind of dated record.

 

At the end of the day, it's just another online business and for the "concept" of those, it's pretty much fair game and open to all for anyone to copy.

[qi_peng]

I doubt that this can be protected. Since there is nothing new under the sun, it does become an empty exercise. In fact, the larger corporation has more leverage so they tend to buy up untested ideas too. Sad for the average Joe out there :(

[bobatkins]

Unless you get bought up by Google. That's not so sad...

[d_s31]

Sorry for bursting your bubble, but I guarantee you that someone else somewhere has thought of the same thing.<p/>Let's say that your idea is one in a billion, good business ideas are a dime a dozen - everyone has a few of their own. Actually implementing them is the challenge.

[mark amy]

Time will tell:))