Are you into inventions and have invention ideas that have turned out to be the same as you expected?
Every invention starts with a crazy idea and with a pinch of necessity, this journey is long and is never smooth. If you have developed anything from the very start be it a physical product or inventing an app, you know the drill right?
Once the eureka movement arrives and everything works out, it will be a celebration.
The next logical and valid step is to get crowd funding to develop your product on a large scale and to sell.
Crowdfunding is the best way to gain funding. The whole idea is to have many people (backers), contributing small amounts to sum up the desired amount. However, before you crowdfund an invention idea or product, consider getting patent protection.
Because the risk involved with crowdfunding is very big. This is the reason to write this article and make aware of the importance of patent protection before crowdfunding.
The two biggest risks that come with crowdfunding inventions that you should be aware of are:
Curiosity Kills The Cat: Stolen Ideas
Crowdfunding is a public platform and with the public, we mean the internet. So, the point here I am conveying is that your fresh, new and unique ideas will basically be visible to the whole world.
This idea was first considered good for inventors because it has benefits, you get publicity and this increases your chance to hit your funding target.
However, just like every face has two sides, there are some problems that lie with these benefits.
And the problems get worse with the fact that you have to share a lot of your invention information with the general public to get funding.
Now, the question is to what extent it is safe to share such information?
If you discuss things like this individually, you can get them to commit to secrecy. But, on the internet, it’s definitely not possible.
All around the world, there are thieves that want money without working on anything. This is how people stole the ideas which were never there actually.
You have to describe on the internet how your product works, any expert in the same field can put some effort to make minor changes to the entire concept and make money out of it.
This is also a rise in competition which you are totally unaware of. Now, you produce your product and find out that someone is already selling a similar product that works better than yours.
How that’s possible? You ask.
well, it’s no brainer. Your idea and your product are on the internet. And once things are on the internet, the safety of your invention idea will never be guaranteed.
Stolen Inventions
The worst-case scenario will be the actual idea for invention getting stolen and not the concept. If this happens, the product competing with yours will be a copycat and not a product with minor changes.
This situation can be a heartbreaking one because it’s like a daylight robbery and can’t even give proof to distinguish between your real product and copied product.
You won’t be able to do anything about it. Yes, you can accuse, claim, and lament, but the situation will not change and things will get difficult for you.
Many inventors have faced this situation and have failed terribly in proving their real work. And it’s wise to learn from others’ experiences. You will never want to go through such situations.
Final Note
This article explains the importance of how to protect your invention through patenting. Patenting is the only protection option you can have for your invention ideas. Nevertheless, patenting is not easy. The process and the cost the two factors are both challenges in patenting.
But it also doesn’t mean that you can gamble with your situation and leave your invention vulnerable. Certainly not.
So, always keep in mind to patent your invention before revealing your invention to the world.
Ownmyinvention is a patent service-providing company in the USA. to apply for your patent an idea in USA visit ownmyinvention.com.