Expert: Nyall Engfield - 9/3/2009

Question
Hi Nyall,I am a fellow who likes to think of himself as an inventor. I would like to know if the ideas I have are worth even putting more thought into. I have developed some of them and drawn all of them. I hate to think that all these ideas will be realized soon by others and tagged with their name on them as I like to think I am the first to have come up with them. I realize there is literally millions if not billions of ideas arising every day. I want to make sure they are mine and stay mine but I don't have the money required for a patent . Can you shed some light or perhaps point me to a light lol . Thank you , James. P.S. Just in case it matters. I live in Alberta .

Answer
James,

You can try to draft your own patent in order to protect your ideas with little cost. Try the Canadian Intellectual Property Office's pages, which provide some tips on putting your own application together. The drawings are typically one of the more difficult aspects of a patent application, so if you already have them you are part of the way there. You may instead seek partners for bringing your idea to market if you don't have the resources. Be sure that before you show an idea, you have the potential partner sign a non-disclosure agreement, if you do not already have a filed patent.

If the design is the only aspect of the invention that is new and protectable, then you may file an industrial design application instead of a patent, and this only requires drawings of the article you are protecting and a petition describing the views shown. Again, CIPO has some pages on its website that may be helpful.