I asked this on reloading forum already, but will try here too.

I have an idea for some great improvements on a standard reloading tool we all use, but need to go over some basic engineering/mechanical details with someone with a technical/mechanical/engineering background. Anyone here that would like to help out, email me. Thanks.

Also someone with some tooling to do a simple prototype. Should be an interesting product.

If you think this has potential, then you need to go to a patent agent before going to anyone else. If you disclose anything to anyone that is not under a confidentiality agreement, the clock starts running. You have one year to apply for a patent from that point.

If it is an improvement to a tool, realistically your only market is the tool manufacturere, since you can't market a competing tool based on their design without treading in some dangerous waters. If it is an add on to their tool, be assured that they will soon market a modified tool that does the same thing and is "factory".

Not trying to discourage you, but one of my jobs is to co-ordinate the work of our intellectual property management team where I work. I can tell you that it is difficult and expensive to secure a patent, then you have to protect it and pay for its upkeep. Before you spend a lot of time and effort, you should be sure that it is an idea that will pay for itself. For instance, what is the potential market? Do you think that you might sell 5000 of these widgets a year? If so, and they sell for $30 and you get $2 each as a licensing fee, will that pay for the $50k-$100k it will cost to develop and patent the item? Most contract groups I know of charge $5k-20k just to write the patent. You then have development costs (read engineering consultants) and the prosecution costs, plus the filing and issue fees. If the patent costs $100,000 to obtain, how many would need to sell to recoup your money at $1-2/unit? These are some of the things you need to think about before spending serious money.

One other thing I forgot. If you secure a patent, do you own it? Many corporate employment contracts contain an intellectual property clause which gives them ownership of anything you invent, even if unrelated to business. These are tough to get around and claiming you did it in the evening will not get you off the hook. Some companies also have policies which preclude release of these rights to employees, even when they are not interested.

Gun Jr.,

The patents I have observed took a year and a couple of thousand $ to get in place, minimum.

I will add to what Art said: the patent, if you get it, is your license to sue whomever infringes it. You still have to win in court, and then collect the judgement. I had a chat with a friend at a technology business here in San Diego, and they budget $500,000 a year to defend their patents.

good luck...jim dodd

Here are a couple of helpful sites:

http://patent-faq.com/

http://members.evansville.net/biz/patagent/

Here is where you can search the patent database to see if someone else has thought of your idea first: http://www.uspto.gov/

Personally, I would go to someone like Lee reloading or RCBS and see if you can get them to go into it with a confidentiality agreement, but maybe they would be willing to with some sort of partnership agreement when it gets to the manufacturing stage.

[ 03-25-2003, 01:42: Message edited by: MarkWhite ]

Thanks guys for the helpful input!

I hear what your saying about patents - have been in the "inventing" game many years - never have bothered with a patent - have never considered many of my "inventions" to be patentable as they are not any "revolutionary" NEW concept, process, or idea - just the result of GOOD design and/or rethinking of basic design/function elements. Also DON"T have the $$$ for a patent! An example is my reloading bench design which I've mentioned on these forums previously. Not much is new in cabinet/furniture making - only thing "new" is REAL GOOD, WELL THOUGHT OUT, FUNCTIONAL DESIGN. That's what I offer.

My project here is just a rethinking of a standard reloading accesory we all use and I don't see where anything about it would be new or revolutionary eliciting a patent. Operation/design features have been around a LONG time.
As I've heard before, all a patent does is open you up for litigation!

Bottom line - I like designing things - I'll go ahead and design, build, and start selling my new "widget" and see what happens. I mean, aren't new reloading widgets introduced all the time? Whaddaya think?

If that's the approach you're taking, go to any local engineering consultant (look in the phone book) and shop around for the best rate for 4-8 hours work. Have them evaluate what you're doing. They should have a secrecy clause as part of their standard service contract. You should be talking $1000-1500/day for a run of the mill mechanical guy, presuming they will do a small one shot job.

Art is soooooo right! A couple of weeks ago I opened a new catalogue from one of our vendors only to find a piece of equipment that I sketched on a paper towel 4 years ago, in their new products. I went straight to the owners of the company and asked why they sold my design without my approval( I have a contract that gives me a percentage of any designs or improvements). It seems that my boss took my sketch to the vendor and sold it. The company is going to court for their "cut", but I will have to get my own attorney to go after mine.

I already share 1 patent with the company, and while it won't make me rich, it isn't anything to sneeze at either.

Btw, the new equipment sells for >$20k. per unit and they've already sold > 50 worldwide.

I've learned my lesson, all future drawings will be submitted by my attorneys.