There are a variety of ways to protect an idea once you have crafted it to perfection. Regardless of whether you have your idea protected using one or more of these methods, it is important that you still keep the information confidential and use smart business tactics when disseminating your idea to the appropriate contacts who can help it get off the ground. It is not unusual for a business owner to have a certain level of paranoia regarding her business idea until deals are made, contracts are signed, and the idea is in the production stages.
Instructions
1. Have the other party sign a non-disclosure agreement. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a standard form used in business to compel the other party to not speak to anyone else about the idea you are about to disclose to them.
2. Apply for a patent for your idea. You will have to go to the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website (see link below), look under the section entitled "File" and choose the appropriate option that applies to your situation. You will need to draw up diagrams and a detailed description for your idea in order to file for a patent. There is filing fee (changes from time to time). Expect to spend a few hundred dollars minimum when filing for a patent. You may also want to do a thorough search to make sure your idea has not already been patented; if so, your application will be denied and there are no refunds after the application has been processed.
3. Send a proposal detailing your idea to yourself using registered mail and leave it unopened. This is also called "the poor man's copyright or patent." While it may or may not be recognized in a court of law, and it may not help you get compensation, this will be clear proof that you were the originator of the idea.
4. Keep the details of your idea very confidential. When you're out and about, speaking to colleagues, friends, business associates, and even family, there is a certain level of discretion that you must have when discussing your idea in order to protect it. If you give up too much information to someone who has a tendency to gossip, you unleash your idea to the world and it will become extremely difficult to protect it. So only give extremely general details about your idea---for example, "I want to open a business to help children" instead of "I want to establish a website linked with the Department of Education to offer kids on the brink of dropping out career counseling services." Be discreet.
