does the government get first crack at an invention or idea you have though the patent office ?
112625
Officially speaking - no.  They are strictly prohibited from doing that.  Getting a patent excludes everyone else from using you idea, governments included.
830957
First off, you need to patent your idea, regardless of what.\n\nThe US patent office can help you with that. Once you have a patent, or your appication is pending a patent, you can go to any college and enlist the help of some engineers to help you develop your idea.\n\nYour idea will remain yours, under your patent, and it is only at your discretion, if after development, your idea makes money, to share it with the people that helped you develop it.
978342
If its a new item, i would be trying to Patent it first.
484133
I know where you can get an invention protected....\n\nwww.provisionalpatenttemplate.com
481548
from personal experience-DO NOT I repeat DO NOT send your idea to one of those "help you patent" outfits- I did, and didn't have the money to follow through with a patent on my own- now a major company is making a knock off of my invention! if your idea is something totally new, then you need to figure out how to develop it your own- learn how to build it so you can see if it's a really valid idea. if an improvement to something that already exists you may be able to patent "improvement to prior art"- either way a good place to start is:\n\nhttp://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html\n\nlook to see if anything already exists like your idea, and if not then start development!
649651
If you tell someone, they may steal your idea.  You should register your idea with a patent attorney or look up how to protect your ideas/inventions with some kind of legal protection.\n\nLook at the Eureka Ranch website for some information as they're a company that helps small business.  http://www.doughall.com.\n\nDon't tell one of those invention companies because they WILL most likely steal your idea.\n\nGood luck!
1096729
A patent is a contract between an inventor and the goverment. The inventor agrees to disclose the invention in its entirety and the government gives exclusive rights to produce, sell, import, and export in return. To obtain a patent, you have to be an inventor or co-inventor. You need to file a patent application with the US Patent & Trademark Office. The best way to do this is to hire a patent attorney or agent (agents are usually cheaper and perform the same function). They can file and argue on your behalf which, given the policies and procedures of the PTO, is extremely beneficial. Even though getting a patent a constitutionally-guaranteed right, that doesn't mean you get it free. Patents can be expensive after attorney/agent fees, PTO fees, and any other fees that may come up. That's why you should get an attorney/agent. You'll spend money, but you'll get the best patent possible. Otherwise you'll spend a lot of money, and may not even end up with a patent because you're not aware of how to write or prosecute a patent. As an example: I saw a patent application that had over 100 independent claim. The fee for this was over $10,000 and will have to be reworked from scratch. That's a lot of money to pay then have to start at square one.
217720
You will get info about US patents on www.uspto.gov.\n\nHowever, the process of patenting is fairly costly and time consuming. Not every invention---even though they are good---is worth patenting. The main criteria generally used to  determine whether it is worth going through the hassle of patenting are: \n\n1) Is your invention important? In other words, do people care about the problem your invention solves? If not, then no one will pay to license the invention.\n\n2) Is your invention sufficiently different from the "prior art"? Here prior art implies both things that are generally known and things that have previously been patented. You cannot patent and invention that is already known in prior art. Moreover, if there is a prior patent that is very close to your invention, you might be a target of costly patent infringement law-suits (where only lawyers makes money). However, note that the legal standard of "sufficiently different" is sometimes ridiculously low (it seems that Microsoft owns a patent on "double click"!)..\n\nThe above two were more obvious items. The less obvious points to consider are:\n\n3) How easy it is to bypass the invention and obtain the same result? If a competitor can do a small change and get the same result, your patent would not worth much.\n\n4) How easy it is to detect patent infringement? I.e., can you detect if someone else is using methods that violate your patent rights? This is important because you cannot expect your competitors to come to you and give you money just because you hold the patent! They will try to bypass and possibly infringe. So it will be your responsibility to detect infringement and bring law-suits.\n\nIn many cases, it is actually simpler to "protect" your invention by publicly disclosing it (and hence preventing anyone else from patenting). You also get an advantage of being an "early bird" and hopefully produce the outcome before your competition and get the market.\n\nFor India, I do not know how effective patent laws are in preventing patent-infringements---my guess is that it is not much. In that case, you might perhaps consider keeping your invention as a trade-secret; i.e., not disclose at all. This makes sense if no one else can copy the concept by buying your product: i.e., if reverse-engineering is difficult/impossible. The formula for Coca-Cola is a good example of a trade-secret.
254036
I don't know, but make sure you have your idea patented before you go showing people. If not, they'll say they're not interested, then turn around and make them.
902958
excellent.i have been wondering this for years(serously)If i ever prove this plz dont compete with me for patent.i think we can share the reward.
90301
You should consult with a "Patent Attorney" to properly protect your invention, establish priority (document that you are the first inventor), have a patent search performed (usually by specialists) to prove novelty and to prepare a patent application in the correct form.  Bar Associations can give you lists of patent attorneys (near you?).  You should avoid disclosing your invention (except to a disinterested witness who can testify that they inderstand the invention and the date they witnessed it and sign and date a sketch, etc.) to the public because it may enter the public domain and you could lose all rights to it.  Often, you have only one year to apply for a patent once it is publically disclosed.  Good luck.
135597
any if you did get a patent or a copyright on the idea so they cant just take it and use it.  It happens all the time.
213527
They guide you through the process and do the substantive work necessary to get the patent.  Initially they may search/review similar patents, advise you on how broad a patent you are likely to get, they will draft and file your application and argue with the Patent and Trademark Office on your behalf.  They make sure the proper formalities are met and dates aren't missed.
1126757
I have not but I know enough about it to answer your questions :)\n\nTo protect an original invention OR a significant improvement to an existing product, a patent would be filed. Here's the USPTO's definition: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/index.html#patent \n\nNOLO is a great, free informational site. Also, be sure to read what the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) has to say about patents.\n\nResearch, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can. Here are some book titles that are relevant:\n\n* Patent It Yourself (11th Edition) by David Pressman\n* Patents and How to Get One : A Practical Handbook by U.S. Department of Commerce\n* How To Make Patent Drawings Yourself: A Patent It Yourself Companion by Jack Lo\n* The Inventor's Notebook: A Patent It Yourself Companion by Fred E. Grissom\n\nThere are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
214512
Put a copy of the original script in an envelope and mail it to yourself but don't open it. Not sure if you're in the U.S. but this is as good as getting a copyright. In the event that they steal your idea, you can produce a copy of it in a sealed envelope with an official government stamp on it indicating the timeframe in which your idea was created. For instance, if they say they came up with the idea three months ago, you can produce a sealed, government stamped copy of the idea from three YEARS ago. Even if you can't prove they received the copy you sent them originally, you have proof that you had the idea three years ago and there exists the POSSIBILITY that they stole it from you.
750548
The short answer is no, you cannot patent something by mailing it to yourself.\n\nThe myth that an idea can be protected frequently stems from what many call the "poor man's copyright." With the poor man's copyright you simply mail your work to yourself and that is believed to somehow protect the idea. It is absolutely critical for everyone to understand that mailing your idea to yourself will do absolutely nothing to give you protection. If you do have original expression that is fixed in a tangible medium of expression it is copyrighted immediately, but not federally registered. All that mailing your work to yoruself will prove is that you had it as of a certain date, and that is only assuming there is a postmark on the envelope (which does not always happen) and the envelope is not opened. It provides no rights whatsoever.\n\nSimilarly, the myth that mailing your idea or invention to yourself somehow protects the idea or invention in the form of some kind of poor man's patent. I have never heard the term poor man's patent used, but many believe that if there is a poor man's copyright there must be a poor man's patent. As discussed above, there is no poor man's copyright and, likewise, there is no poor man's patent. Mailing your invention to yourself creates absolutely no exclusive rights. To the contrary, mailing the invention to yourself and then doing nothing with it could be used against you later on to demonstrate lack of diligence, abandonment or even supression and concealment, none of which would be good things! The one thing that mailing a description of your invention can do is demonstrate that as of the date of the postmark you were in possession of whatever is included in the envelope. Given that the US patent system is a first to invent system, such a mailing could be useful evidence, provided of course the envelope does have a postmark and provided the envelope is not opened. Do not overestimate the importance of mailing your invention to yourself. It is not bad to do, and in fact can be helpful in a limited number of cases, although cases are few and far between where this evidence is required. The main point is to remember, however, is that no exclusive rights attach to or will be derived from such a mailing.
285630
I believe the answer is patent.  This is the first process you must go through in order to claim that it is your sole idea.