Due to the many cases of young and unknown inventors and artists who have allegedly had their ideas stolen by big businesses, it's worthwhile to discuss protect your idea when sharing it with a corporation. Getting a patent is a long process (think of all the companies that have patents pending), and they sometimes aren't approved because the idea is too similar to another already on file. Presenting your idea to a big business is a high-risk situation, but there are a few precautions that you can take to reduce that risk.
Instructions
Get a Patent for Your Idea
1. Go to the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website (see Resources for a link to the site). Do a patent search to make sure that your idea isn't already on file with the patent office.
2. Click the link for unregistered e-filers to sign on. Fill out the patent forms with all of the required information, including a clear description of your idea and diagrams or drawings that represent your idea. (You can also file this application through the mail by downloading the appropriate forms.)
3. Pay the appropriate fees to go with your patent application and wait for a decision regarding the filing of your patent. If approved, you now have the highest form of protection for your idea when and if you do decide to share it with a big business. If the business were to steal your idea, you have legal recourse. You can also present your idea while the application is in process by advertising it as "patent pending."
A Few Other Methods of Protecting Your Idea
4. Draw up a business proposal detailing your idea. Send the proposal to yourself via registered U.S. mail and leave it unopened. While this is not as strong a protection as having an actual patent (and may not hold up in court), it's at least a way of proving that you conceived of the idea first based on the date of the mail piece.
5. Have another party with you when you present your idea to a big business, to act as a witness to the fact that you came to the company with that idea.
6. Be vague when sending out inquiries to big businesses about your idea. Only go into more of a detailed explanation when the company shows a solid interest and agrees to a meeting with you.
7. Have companies sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which basically says that they cannot share your idea with anyone else. (See links below for a sample NDA that you can use.)
