Tracy W
tlf001
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Newbie here, first post. Please forgive me if I am rule breaking or posting in the wrong area.
I came up with what I thought was an original idea. Apparently it’s not, so I feel a bit crushed. There are basically 2 versions of my invention- one is basically the same thing, but very low tech. Another is a much fancier- it’s the same concept, but not identical to what I had in mind. I could not find a patent on either, but my search was not as extensive as it could have been.
So, am I done? Obviously I can still work on my concept, but since at least 2 like products exist, is it going to be hard to get it licensed?
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Ken Somerby
reddawg
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If you can find several reasons your idea is different, then yes it is worth working on………In reality what makes a product patentable is uniqueness and how the patent claims are written.
You will notice there are many similar patented items that hit the market and sometimes I can not see the difference in any of them, but it is how the claims protect each item is the deal maker…
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ralf chlipalski
ralfcis
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Take a look if they made money, if you can add a lot of sizzle then bet the farm and your child’s future. Nothing is new under the sun except for sizzle.
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Tracy W
tlf001
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Ralf- the simple version is being marketed poorly. It looks like the inventor is trying to sell it him/herself as opposed to licensing. From what I can tell it’s been out since 2005 with no traction.
The fancy-yet-not-identical version was licensed- in fact the inventor was mentioned on the company’s website. I think it’s a pretty new product. Because mine is a bit different (closer to the poorly marketed product), I might have a shot.
Not willing to bet the farm quite yet since it’s out there. But I’ve got to try.
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Mick Hanna
mickh
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I’ve been told having like products on the market is a good thing, it proves there IS a market for your product. Much less marketing if you don’t have to “create” a need. The devil is in the execution. Why would anyone choose your’s, will they pay for it, can you make money, how are you going to reach your market? The 2 over-riding things I’m weighing are: can I break even, and this is so much fun that I can’t imagine not pursueing it, within financial reason of course. No matter how good it looks on paper, I’d rather not bet the farm on anything. Also, I don’t want to look back in a few years and regret not doing it. I think that perspective is coming with my advancing years. :)
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Tracy W
tlf001
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Bingo, Mick!!! I have said exactly that to a few people- I don’t want any regrets.
I know exactly who would be the perfect company to license- but they don’t manufacture and I highly doubt this big ‘ol corporation would talk to little ol’ me.
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Roger Brown
rogerbrown
∞
Insider Points
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Tracy,
Before you jump in you need to look at WHY does the public need another of the same product, WHY if yours is between the poorly done one and the higher version would it stand a better chance? If there is no patent on either WHY not? Could it be that the niche is to small to justify spending the money on a patent?
Taking chances are only good if you have done your homeowrk up front and are making an informed decision to minimize the risk, not a decision based on desire. There are a lot of people who wish they had a million dollars and others working to get that million dollars. There is a distinct difference.
http://www.rogerbrown.net
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