protect this concept and sell this concept to a mail service provder?I have an Idea/concept, which will enhance the value of any Mail Web service like Yahoo or Hot mail. How can I
first and for most have a patient atty.plus your own atty to do the research for you .
thank youI have an Idea/concept, which will enhance the value of any Mail Web service like Yahoo or Hot mail. How can I
Go to a patent attorney, and pay him for half an hour's time to discuss your idea, decide if it's patentable, and to learn what you need to do to protect it. Ask him about filing a provisional patent application, which is cheap and easy, and effective for a year (although you still have to file a real patent application if you want the patent, this gives you a year to do it).
DO NOT go to one of the "patent factories" that often advertise they'll help you make a lot of money; they're mostly frauds. Find a real attorney.
If you want to do a little homework, you can search for your idea on the web, or at the patent office's web site (in the US, uspto.gov), but that's difficult to do without experience. The point is, if your idea is new (novel is the word that's used by the patent law), you can't get a patent on it. So, before you invest a lot of money to apply for a patent, it's worth finding out if it's really a new idea.I have an Idea/concept, which will enhance the value of any Mail Web service like Yahoo or Hot mail. How can I
I agree with Ossinger. That is your best option.
Large technology companies typcially do not sign nondisclosure or similar agreements with strangers - they'd have thousands if they did so.
Also, if you read the fine print on their sites, you'll usually find language that essentially waives your rights if you decide to submit information to them. (Some large companies will automatically bounce-back your email with an explicit statement that they do not accept unsolicited "ideas.") Do NOT assume that your information is being treated as proprietary by anyone, absent an enforceable nondisclosure agreement. Even then, as a practical matter, nondisclosures can be difficult to track and enforce.
Your best bet is to see if it's worthwhile to file a provisional patent application.
