[geeks] Developing an idea

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: James Fogg <James at jdfogg.com>
>Date: 2008/06/11 Wed PM 05:09:30 EDT
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [geeks] Developing an idea

>> Let us suppose, fellow geeks, that you have just had an idea, which
>has
>> both significant likely commercial value and significant probable
>> importance in the applicable field, but which you do not have the
>> resources to develop yourself.  (Specifically, the field is disaster
>> readiness, and without disclosing any technical details, the invention
>> is a modular temporary cofferdam that could be erected very rapidly
>and
>> with much less labor than sandbag walls in the event of imminent
>> flooding.)
>>
>> What should one's first steps be, and how would you go about finding a
>> partner to develop it?
>
>
>You are ahead of yourself.
>
>Do a patent search first, you might be locked out.
>
>No existing patent? Get one before anything else. Don't even talk to
>your mother about your idea without a patent in hand.

I'm no expert, and I agree 100% with everything James mentioned, but I'd also suggest that you start documenting your idea as well, though I'm not how you could *really* date your documents in such a way that could stand up in court (I can think of several things that *should* stand up in court, but I don'tknow that they actually would).

Lionel