Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet
Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals
-
Congratulations waross on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
When you have an idea 4
- Thread starter dicer
- Start date
mauricestoker
Mechanical
I agree with Bipolar. I thought of a lot of things when I was younger, too, but after getting smacked on the side of the head a few times I learned to keep those things to myself. Surprisingly, Larry Flynt and Bob Guccione must have read my mind and stolen my ideas.
Compositepro
Chemical
The formula for Coca-Cola is an example of a trade secret.
I have found that ideas have a way of travelling, and your best protection against losing a new idea is to publish a patent preliminary disclosure, which is not expensive. Follow up later with the formal patent disclosure if it proves worthwhile to the company.
SMOKEY44211
Automotive
Has anyone here seen the movie Flash of Genious? I give it two thumbs up. Story of the fellow who invented intermitten windshield wiper. --------Phil
The Colonel's 11 herbs and spices are likewise a trade secret.
Supposedly, Claude Shannon, the putative father of signal processing claimed that every problem had its "time" for a solution, e.g., Einstein wasted the remainder of his life chasing unified field theory, because it was too early to attempt a solution.
A classic example is the junction field effect transistor (JFET), invented, and patented, by Julius Lilienfeld around 1930. Unfortunately for him, it was nearly two decades later before anyone could even make one, because semiconductor technology was nearly nonexistent prior to end of the 1940s. So, patent worth not much, because it was ahead of its time.
We even had a secretary who proposed a car navigation system in 1983, but she was, unfortunately, about 8 years too early, and she was unaware of all the technological advances that were leading up to the development of the first automotive GPS systems in the late 1980s. At the time she proposed her system, we were just able to get 286s, which required 287s to even do math. Hardly an auspicious solution to cranking GPS solutions on the fly...
So, sure, invent away, but timing, as they say, is EVERYTHING...
TTFN
FAQ731-376
Supposedly, Claude Shannon, the putative father of signal processing claimed that every problem had its "time" for a solution, e.g., Einstein wasted the remainder of his life chasing unified field theory, because it was too early to attempt a solution.
A classic example is the junction field effect transistor (JFET), invented, and patented, by Julius Lilienfeld around 1930. Unfortunately for him, it was nearly two decades later before anyone could even make one, because semiconductor technology was nearly nonexistent prior to end of the 1940s. So, patent worth not much, because it was ahead of its time.
We even had a secretary who proposed a car navigation system in 1983, but she was, unfortunately, about 8 years too early, and she was unaware of all the technological advances that were leading up to the development of the first automotive GPS systems in the late 1980s. At the time she proposed her system, we were just able to get 286s, which required 287s to even do math. Hardly an auspicious solution to cranking GPS solutions on the fly...
So, sure, invent away, but timing, as they say, is EVERYTHING...
TTFN
FAQ731-376
My university had a partnership with Black & Decker when I went there - B&D engineers/marketing would review improvements that students suggested to their products. One of our design projects was to find an improvement to their 24V cordless DeWalt circular saw (no longer manufactured). One of the groups of students (the semester before me) came up with a laser guide. They made a prototype and did demonstrations. The guys from Black & Decker absolutely tore them apart during their presentation - a horrible idea, they said.
Fastforward to today and look at the world of circular saws - every other one has a laser guide. I suppose that DeWalt has been steadfast in their opposition, though. The DeWalt models don't.
Even though you might have a great idea, if you can't convince someone with funds to get on-board with you, you're done.
Fastforward to today and look at the world of circular saws - every other one has a laser guide. I suppose that DeWalt has been steadfast in their opposition, though. The DeWalt models don't.
Even though you might have a great idea, if you can't convince someone with funds to get on-board with you, you're done.
I tried to sell my idea of auto-rerouting around traffic GPS to the Big 3 US car companies around 1999. When I saw it finally in action I just laughed and wished I tried sending my idea to Pioneer or Alpine. But I was a newbie of 18 years old at the time.
I have come up with some current stuff that doesn't exist and people are surprised they don't exist. But I need help and help is hard to find for free. Most people have no ambition in life to make their dreams come true.
B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil and Structural Engineering
I have come up with some current stuff that doesn't exist and people are surprised they don't exist. But I need help and help is hard to find for free. Most people have no ambition in life to make their dreams come true.
B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil and Structural Engineering
Circa 1918 my Dad worked for a patent attorney making patent drawings.
He claimed mailing yourself prior art documented by two people signing and acknowledging that they understand the concept of the invention was legal in coput for establidhing priority of conception.
Also he said that you must show continuous work up until marketing for the prioity to be valid. In other words, you can't just document an idea and sit on it.
However, a few years ago I talked to a patent attorney on the phone and he claimed that the mailing thing is no longer valid. Maybe he just wanted some busines?
To chime in with others, patent or none -- you have to have the funds to defend or challenge a patent.
In any event, the truth is in a book entiltled, "Inventing for Dummies" by Dr. Pamela Bird. Her husband, Dr. Forrest Bird, wrote the introduction to the book. Dr. Bird invented a respirator(s) used in hospitals, clinics, and ambulances around the world. Dr Forrest Bird has been rcognized by more than one president for his life saving devices. He learned the hard way how to go through the complete process from concept to marketing and has a company called percussionair that produces his respirators.
Pamela manages the "Bird Aviation and Invention Center" located in Sagle, North Idaho.
He claimed mailing yourself prior art documented by two people signing and acknowledging that they understand the concept of the invention was legal in coput for establidhing priority of conception.
Also he said that you must show continuous work up until marketing for the prioity to be valid. In other words, you can't just document an idea and sit on it.
However, a few years ago I talked to a patent attorney on the phone and he claimed that the mailing thing is no longer valid. Maybe he just wanted some busines?
To chime in with others, patent or none -- you have to have the funds to defend or challenge a patent.
In any event, the truth is in a book entiltled, "Inventing for Dummies" by Dr. Pamela Bird. Her husband, Dr. Forrest Bird, wrote the introduction to the book. Dr. Bird invented a respirator(s) used in hospitals, clinics, and ambulances around the world. Dr Forrest Bird has been rcognized by more than one president for his life saving devices. He learned the hard way how to go through the complete process from concept to marketing and has a company called percussionair that produces his respirators.
Pamela manages the "Bird Aviation and Invention Center" located in Sagle, North Idaho.
moltenmetal
Chemical
Here's an amusing read: "the Case Against Patents". I particularly love his opening paragraph:
Getting a patent is the easy part. Defending it isn't. And in the civil courts, the justice you get depends on how deep your own pockets are, relative to those of the guy you're taking on.
Then there are the parts of the world where even the notion of intellectual property is foreign...
Getting a patent is the easy part. Defending it isn't. And in the civil courts, the justice you get depends on how deep your own pockets are, relative to those of the guy you're taking on.
Then there are the parts of the world where even the notion of intellectual property is foreign...
Well, Don Lancaster was a well-respected engineer and columnist, but he obviously never interacted with the Lemuelson Foundation. Ostensibly, Jerome Lemuelson was an innocent inventor, minding his own business and inventions, and yet, somehow, he managed to claim precedence on quite a few key patents against the actual inventors. The VCR and barcode reader are two examples.
He then immediately proceeded to found his foundation, whose sole purpose was to use those patents to gouge companies with deep pockets and to promote the Lemuelson Foundation as a benefactor of future inventors. Hundreds of millions of dollars successfully extracted from a number of companies, so yeah, you can make money off patents...
Lemuelson passed away circa 1990, but his patents and foundation gouge on...
TTFN
FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize
He then immediately proceeded to found his foundation, whose sole purpose was to use those patents to gouge companies with deep pockets and to promote the Lemuelson Foundation as a benefactor of future inventors. Hundreds of millions of dollars successfully extracted from a number of companies, so yeah, you can make money off patents...
Lemuelson passed away circa 1990, but his patents and foundation gouge on...
TTFN
FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize
Yes, and there are plenty(?) of examples of people who have managed to get rich of their patented inventions. They still get ripped off, but they do still also make some money. Unfortunately, these may not be American inventors.... and a few a British.... but in some companies patents are taken seriously....
On the other hand, those success stories are pretty much on a par with lottery winners... a lot of winnings for a very very small proportion of inventors....
On the subject of inventors, those ghastly TV shows demonstrate the range of ill thought out valueless ideas some people have and believe in.
Incidentally, I'm not altogether convinced by the idea you should go public with your ideas.... it is far more likely that with the way the patent system is, and its pretty much like most company investment schemes, there are probably a vast number of valuable ideas that the inventors never ever bother to share.... simply because it is not worth the effort... the original concept of the patent is a good one and well meant but if ever the reality fell further from the intention, I am hard put to know what it is.
If any country values ideas then now is the time to do something about it.
JMW
On the other hand, those success stories are pretty much on a par with lottery winners... a lot of winnings for a very very small proportion of inventors....
On the subject of inventors, those ghastly TV shows demonstrate the range of ill thought out valueless ideas some people have and believe in.
Incidentally, I'm not altogether convinced by the idea you should go public with your ideas.... it is far more likely that with the way the patent system is, and its pretty much like most company investment schemes, there are probably a vast number of valuable ideas that the inventors never ever bother to share.... simply because it is not worth the effort... the original concept of the patent is a good one and well meant but if ever the reality fell further from the intention, I am hard put to know what it is.
If any country values ideas then now is the time to do something about it.
JMW
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question