I’m asking this for my boyfriend who doesn’t use reddit. He’s in the fishing industry and has this brilliant idea for a tool that fisherman use everyday – but a much better version of it that would make the use of this tool much easier to use. It doesn’t exist yet, we checked. The problem is he (and I) have ZERO clue on how to get this going… I know that he needs to build or create some sort of prototype, right? Is there a company that can help with this? I know there are these “invention help” companies that exist, but are they legit? If they are legit, are there some that are considered better? How do they work and make money? Sorry if I’m just spewing a bunch of questions but I’m just at a loss when it comes to this stuff. I really want to help him make this a reality because he’s struggling financially at times and I just have this deep-down feeling that this could really be a great thing not only for him, but for the fishing industry in general. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
A patent is key. You’ll obviously need help with obtaining one. A lawyer has a fiduciary duty to work in your best interest, so you generally won’t need to worry about the idea being stolen from them. Otherwise, get a signed NDA from anyone else with whom you share the idea.
I had a paten attorney put it to me this way, “I’m not going to risk losing my law license for your idea.” That pretty much cleared up thoughts about their potential for ripping people off of their ideas.