Inventing For Dummies®

Peter Jackson is a Patent Attorney, Intellectual Property Consultant, and an adviser to new inventors. Philip Robinson is the inventor of the ZorinPump. Pamela Riddle Bird is the founder of Innovative Product Technologies, Inc.

Foreword xxv

Introduction 1

Part I: Assessing Your Idea 7

Chapter 1: The Innovation Process 9

Chapter 2: Keeping It Confidential 19

Chapter 3: Intellectual Property Basics 27

Chapter 4: Searching for Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks 45

Part II: Protecting Your Idea 57

Chapter 5: Applying for Your Patent 59

Chapter 6: Maintaining and Defending Your Patent 77

Chapter 7: Applying to Register Your Design 87

Chapter 8: Applying to Register Your Trade Mark 97

Chapter 9: Using Your Copyright to Stop the Pirates 109

Part III: Developing Your Idea 119

Chapter 10: Showing That Your Invention Works 121

Chapter 11: Hiring Helpers and Using Service Contracts 133

Chapter 12: Evaluating Your Invention’s Potential 141

Chapter 13: Going into Production 151

Part IV: Preparing to Enter the Market 167

Chapter 14: Developing a Business Plan 169

Chapter 15: Finding Funding 191

Chapter 16: Keeping Control with Your Own Business 207

Chapter 17: Partnering and Manufacturing Arrangements 223

Chapter 18: Preparing for Launch 233

Part V: Developing Your Market 247

Chapter 19: Marketing Your Product 249

Chapter 20: Advertising Your Product 263

Chapter 21: Licensing Your Product 277

Chapter 22: Negotiating a Licence 291

Part VI: The Part of Tens 305

Chapter 23: Ten Key Contacts 307

Chapter 24: Ten Inventions (and Inventors) That Changed the World 313

Chapter 25: Ten Inventors to Emulate 321

Part VII: Appendixes 329

Appendix A: Sample Agreements 331

Appendix B: Sources of Help 341

Index 347