Pope John 11
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My target market would be worldwide, no limit. Language is a barrier though.Whether you go to someone here or in the US is a commercial decision based on your target market.
That long,surely there must be an approx. set figure for the costs.Patents can take 3-5 years to process and can cost in the 10's of thousands.
OkIt's not something to enter into lightly, that's for sure. That said, after the initial search (which would probably cost a couple of grand), you'll have a better idea of whether it's worth continuing. There are numerous points along the way where you can stop the process.
Good point, so I don't disclose any information at this stage?I'd advise you to meet with an Irish patent agent to talk through the process, timing and potential costs. Then do the same with a US attorney and see how you feel about each of them. Each will obviously be trying to get the business, but you will at least have two viewpoints. I'd imagine they'll want some payment in advance if they are dealing with you as an individual.
Watersprite whats the purpose of NDA forms, if this is not the case?You probably don't need an NDA to consult with a patent attorney/agent - they are bound by common law duty of confidence. I can't see them signing an NDA before they talk to you in any case.
Thanks Watersprite,
My target market would be worldwide, no limit. Language is a barrier though.
That long,surely there must be an approx. set figure for the costs.
Good point, so I don't disclose any information at this stage?
Watersprite whats the purpose of NDA forms, if this is not the case?
Is it possible to get Dublin Enterprise interested, & if so, what would they be likely looking for in terms of % of the company if its set up.
Its quite simple really, thats the amazing thing,I can't still get my head around it, so your saying no NDA, discuss the idea with them, he will then be in a position to quote me?It depends on the complexity of the patent. For relatively complex software patents, it can cost $50k in the US alone. The patent agent will be able to give you a quote. For simple patents, it could be as low as $10k.)
So what do I say to them, I have an idea to be patented, could you give me a quote?Not to anyone you don't have to. For example, you don't have to disclose the detail of the invention to get quotes from patent agents.
OkYou should look at the Patent Office site for general information about patents. If something has been publicly disclosed anywhere in the world, it is not patentable.
Ok, its just that I don't understand how I could contest my idea in court, if the lawyer ran away with it.Lawyers (that you engage) are bound by a common law duty of confidentiality. Other people are not - you'd use an NDA for potential investors, advisors etc.
Ok, I have checked it up before,when I had another idea, I will go through it again.No idea - you should ask them. I know they support start ups but it depends on the area of industry and likelihood of the creation of employment and exports. Also, no idea what %age would be appropriate - that depends on your business plan & amount you want invested. This is a different discussion and is more related to start-up funding - there's a fair amount of information here on AAM and also (for example) on Enterprise Ireland's site. You should talk to an EI rep or someone from your local Enterprise Board - that costs nothing and you'll get some good information. You should have any potential investors sign an NDA if you are disclosing your invention.
Yes I have seen this before too, will go through it.There's more information (startup site) and here (Enterprise Ireland)
Its quite simple really, thats the amazing thing,I can't still get my head around it, so your saying no NDA, discuss the idea with them, he will then be in a position to quote me?
So what do I say to them, I have an idea to be patented, could you give me a quote?
Ok, its just that I don't understand how I could contest my idea in court, if the lawyer ran away with it.
By the way, if I could patent this, I will be giving you hugh praise
Thats fineyou'll need to explain the general idea (e.g. "I have an idea for a new anti-hangover pill") so that they know what kind of area it's in. They will also be able to advise about what you need to do to keep your invention confidential.
I believe that e.g. simple mechanical devices would be easier to process (i.e. quicker to see if it can be patented, cheaper to describe the invention in the application) and would probably be cheaper than e.g. a highly technical software patent).
Thats fineYour problem will be having a patent agent taking you seriously (no offence) - they may not take kindly to an individual just knocking up. So I'd go in with a bit of a plan, such as that you have spoken/are speaking to EI, have set up (or about to set up) a company and know something about e.g. potential manufacture of your invention, including costs and materials, your market size, potential customers, distributors, revenue stream etc. Don't say that you've done research on the internet (apart from patent searching, but be specific on the types of things that may be similar to yours that are patented & try to be able to show the need that your product is addressing); say that you've taken preliminary advice from a commercial lawyer (ahem). If you sound like you know what you are talking about from commercial standpoint (even if it's not necessarily the route you will go down), then they are likely to give you a free hour or so to talk you through the process. Then yes, just ask for a quote and ask for a fee breakdown for each stage (drafting application, filing fees, different geographies, examination fees, time to grant, renewal fees). You may want to ask about a short term patent in Ireland (or provisional patent in the US) as they will be cheaper (quick and "easy") but are an additional expense if you go the whole hog in the end. You could probably get a provisional patent application done for a couple of thousand US$.
Thats fine. Its just a previous Mr. L pops into my head, when he legged it from the country.I don't think it's likely that the lawyer would run away with it. However, think of the common law duty of confidentiality as the same as having an NDA in place - you'd sue just the same, for a breach of confidentiality and get a court order (injunction) against them using your idea for their own benefit. Keep notes of who you meet and what you discuss. Again, note that it's only certain classes of people that have an inbuilt common law duty of confidentiality. If it makes you more comfortable, tell the patent agent in advance that you are concerned about confidentiality and ask them to assure you that the matters will be kept confidential - get them to confirm in writing/email. That's slightly OTT IMO but if it makes you more comfortable, then do it. It might alert them to the fact that you are inexperienced in this area and make it less likely that they'll give you a consult. But, sure if that happens with patent agent no 1, then just adjust and move to patent agent no 2. Cruickshanks and FR Kelly are two patent agents in Dublin.
(e.g. the PCT)
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