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Ask HN: I have a concept for packaging of a popular product. And some questions

3 points by w-ll ↗ HN
Yes i know of patents and patent pending, but I still don't have the money for that. If I release some concept art/videos/ rough schematics of the product on say HN, Youtube, My blog. Would that grant me any kind of rights if someone down the road took my idea?<p>Second question, how might I get this idea to the industry leaders to make it a viable product?

2 comments

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nudge
If you publish a description of something, it immediately becomes unpatentable, by anyone (including you). This is because you cannot patent something that is in the public domain, and if you publish it, that's where it is. So that's patents. You may not have the money now, but later on when you do have the money, it won't matter, because you'll have put your invention into the public domain, and no amount of money will get it patented for you. (The other side of this, though, is that you can stop other people patenting it too, which is a tactic some inventors go for).

As for other kinds of intellectual property right, I'm afraid I can't really help you. It really depends on where you live. I would suggest you read the information on the USPTO website (US Patent and Trademark Office) if you are in the US, or the equivalent for where you live. There may be some information there on your rights regarding your designs.

cjlars
I understand the basic process of licensing a product is this:

1) File for a provisional patent (cost $110), this will get you a year of weak to moderate legal protection

2) design, mock-up and create a sales page for you product

3) attempt to license the product to a partner, in this case, a packaging or manufacturing company.

4) in the unlikely event anyone wants it -> profit

5) otherwise, go back to the drawing board, content in having pursued it.

Net outlays, probably less than $1,000, and perhaps 40 to 200 hours of work.

This guy's a wealth of information for this stuff, btw: http://www.inventright.com/ Also: Provisional Patent info: http://inventors.about.com/od/provisionalpatent/a/Provisiona...