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The next big thing eg ebay and friendsreunited


rommany

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Hello Guys

 

We all dream of coming up with the next ebay or friendreunited.

 

But if someone did come up with an idea that could take off big time and no one else is doing it at the moment, how could someone protect them selfs from copycats before it took off.

 

i do not think you can copyright things like ebay and so on but just get there before anyone else.

 

Anyway any details would be great...

 

 

Kind regards

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Even eBay had copycat competition in the beginning. But their marketing was strong and the functionality was good. The rest is history.

 

You can copyright the site design and if the service is truly orignal enough, you can file for a patent. Of course a US patent is about $10,000 by the time it is done so it's not good unless you are certain. But there is a method described on the Patent Office's website that you can file a letter of intent that costs about $15 to file. After that you have a year to try to make it work before investing the big bucks. That doesn't stop other's from trying, but if you are later awarded the patent, you can pursue retroactive royalties from other's.

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Patents are a waste of time unless you are seriously flush with cash. Many big companies spend millions (and years) going to court to defend their patents. One that springs to mind is dyson and his vacumm cleaner. but there's been many others. If your idea is so good then you can be sure that companies with more money than a small country will ripp it off and you are stuffed. As graphics guy says you've got to be faster, and smarter than the rest.

 

And patents are not like GPL software, another company can patent the same thing asyou with the slightest unique nuance and that's another valid patent.

 

Also you have to describe your invention, you can't patent an idea, it has to be real and tangeable. otherwise i'd patent holidays to the moon, flying cars, life on mars and windows 2006.

 

I'm afraid to say that I once worked for a chemical company and much of my job was spent copying other peoples products. Their patents were often very good sources of information!!

Light, in the absence of eyes, illuminates nothing.

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Thanks for the information,

 

the idea i have is not a new design or product of sorts more of a service that i came up with that most people do all around the world but this could and should help alot. I have done a search for my idea on the web and no one offers this service as yet!

 

i know most people comes up with ideas every day and that includes me, but one of two things get in the way, 1 someone else is doing it or 2, no one whats it.

 

But i have asked my close family and friends what they think of the idea and all agree that if the idea is unique ( what i sure it is ) then its clever and all so far would maybe think about using the site at sometime in their life.

 

setting up the site would would take me around 3-6 mts to make as it would take quite a few contributions and a bit of designing, but i have no problems with that.

 

I think my biggest problem will be getting the site known before all the copycat catch on and start doing the same and im not sure if i could find that kind of amount of money to get it world wide in time.

 

anyway nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

Kind regards

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