Suggestions on an invention wanted

[newwurldmn]

Patent first, then begin to manufacture after 6 years?
What about marketing, distributing, packaging?
I didn't want to get into being a business owner, there are others who are more efficient and professioal than me who could do this, I didn't wish to re invent the wheel, just sell the concept to someone who has all the connections.
If I sold the idea, would I need a patent first?

I would think so. A patent is a tricky thing. It protects you legally but it also means you have to share the design publicly. Enforcing a patent is expensive. So if you don’t want to figure out the distribution, etc I think you will not earn much on the idea.

 

[vanzandt]

A couple years back I designed a 'fishing tool' which will take a fishing line offshore. Can go as far as your fishing line is long.
Actually designed a few different ones for different applications, rivers, ocean, off the beach, from a boat...
Anyway, never thought too seriously about it until the other day decided to build a real slick model.
I was down the beach talking to this old bloke and showed him one of my older models but couldn't launch it due to very strong winds. Correction, it would have launched but possibly may have got damaged.
I went home and thought again and I'm now building a real strange concept model which will tackle heavy winds and probably would go thru surf.
My son is quite a savvy bloke so we discussed creating a web site and selling the plans.
However on further consideration thought perhaps a better idea would be to sell the concept to a multinational like Mattel.
Any suggestions on this?

I think you should go ahead and spend the absolute minimal amount possible to get it patented if you have the $'s.

One... its pretty cool to say you have a patent; and two, maybe some day one of the big players will actually produce and sell something that's close. That way you can find a patent attorney that will sue on a contingency basis and you may end up with a lifetime royalty stream.

I don't remember the specifics, but I think back in the day this played out for a small inventor that had the original patent for intermittent windshield wipers. He sued the big 3 and won big as I recall.

Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kearns

 

[themickey]

I think you should go ahead and spend the absolute minimal amount possible to get it patented if you have the $'s.

One... its pretty cool to say you have a patent; and two, maybe some day one of the big players will actually produce and sell something that's close. That way you can find a patent attorney that will sue on a contingency basis and you may end up with a lifetime royalty stream.

I don't remember the specifics, but I think back in the day this played out for a small inventor that had the original patent for intermittent windshield wipers. He sued the big 3 and won big as I recall.

Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kearns

Pity about the energy and stress Kearns went through to defend the patent, good wiki story tho. Thx.