Concept

“Words are tools which automatically carve concepts out of experience”

Julian Sorrell Huxley

Ten Steps

1. Keep it secret

• Don't tell friends: Discussing the idea is hard to resist, but you risk putting the information in the public domain. A friend tells a friend - pretty soon the idea is lost!
• Don't tell potential business partners: They are in business, remember. If they see an opportunity, it could be your loss.
• Don't tell potential customers: Perhaps your invention could be built by your competitor who already has a good relationship with your client. They get together, they talk...
• Don't talk to the media:
• Don't publish it:
• Don't use it in public:

2. Searching

• Conduct searching of: scientific literature, the Internet, patent databases. You'll need an assortment of search tools and tips.
• Why? is it new? identify infringement avoid reinventing the wheel

3. Assess the prior art

• What are others using?
• Closest competing invention?
• Is there an equivalent?
• Is there any combination of existing inventions which are similar?
• How does your invention differ?
• Is your invention better?

4. Is it yours?

• Right to apply true and first inventor(s) assignee(s) personal representative individual vs company director vs employee vs contractor

5. Identify your market

• Where are you going to manufacture?
• Where are you going to sell?
• Right to exclude: manufacture sale importation use

6. Is it an invention?

• US approach "Anything under the sun that is made by man"
• European approach must include technical character, technical problem, technical features excludes business methods, computer programs, medical treatment.
• Examples mechanical/electronic devices chemical formulations manufacturing processes DNA molecules modified plants/animals medical treatment computer software

7. Is it worth patenting?

• How new is it?
• What size is the market?
• What's the technology?

8. Prepare the patent

• What the invention does
• How it does it
• The name of the invention
• The components of the invention
• parts of a device
• steps of a process
• The function of each component
• What components are new
• How the components interact
• What components are essential?
• Can components be substituted?
• Labelled drawings flow charts sequence listings diagrams

9. Keep track of dates

10. Assess your invention

• Is it worth continuing?
• In which countries?
• Is it still new?
• Is it being infringed?