You have a right to be concerned. Unprotected ideas are always in danger of being stolen.
You
shouldn’t approach a large company with a good idea until you build
some momentum. Some new business ideas need larger companies to move
them forward, but if your idea is that good and not legally
protectable, you'll need to build some advantage first, develop this
business idea, bear down, and make it work. After that, then you will
have something to sell.
A few points to keep in mind:
-
Get to the market first
- This is the only way to stay ahead. If your idea is successful, you
can be sure it will be copied unless you hold a patent and the legal
costs and ramifications would be towering if a larger company decided
to copy your idea.Getting to the market first gives you the early bird
advantage. If you market your idea early, you can make that initial
money which will provide you the leverage to fight a legal battle if
necessary.
-
Make sure you provide a quality product/service
- Thats the only way to maintain that early bird advantage. If it is a
new product that you are dealing with, make sure you innovate. That way
you will still lead the pack.
-
People are the key
- You will have to find the right person. While it is impossible to
predict that your idea would not be stolen, that;s the risk you have to
take.
-
Patent your idea
- You can protect your idea with a patent, but only if you have begun
the process and your idea is actually patentable. Invention patents are
obtained through the U.S. Patent Office. All of the information needed
for obtaining an invention patent and the patent filing procedures are
listed at their website: uspto.gov. But keep in mind, not everyone can
obtain a patent for their inventions or ideas. If your invention has
already been created, or if it is just an improvement of someone else's
patented invention, you cannot obtain a patent for it. You can do a
patent search at uspto.gov to see if your idea has already been thought
of. Of course, you should talk with an intellectual property attorney
(formerly known as patent attorneys) about creating an non-disclosure
agreement (NDA) designed to protect your specific intellectual
property, your application of that property, and even as it relates to
the specific involvement with other parties. Then use those NDAs
religiously, and be prepared to protect them with legal action, if and
when necessary.
-
Trademarks
and service marks can also give you some legal protection against
people trying to trade on your company’s name and trademarks.
