is there a real question in there?

Nepa,

Are you asking how information on this site could be protected from every Tom, Dick, and Harry, utilizing it for their own benefit?

Or, are you asking how you can ask, and get answers, to a question without it, or answers, being exposed to every Tom, etc.

j.

I am asking how one could should go about being able to identify this application (whether one should go directly to a major manufacturer of the component, or...) since I do not believe this is a patented issue. I do not believe a current / available piece of equipment used in a different application (without modification) can be protected. Further, one would need deep pockets to protect this / time / effort/ etc. I am just asking the engineers of the world how they might introduce this new applicaiton without benefiting from it.... Thank you!

Yes and no... chronologically of course.

Hi Nepa,

You gotta figure what can you afford to do and sometimes, this takes outside funding.

That's 1 area where universities and their professors have and edge over those of us , in the private sector, I've always thought. The Professors get to do the research and own their work, where as , those working for a major manufacture, generally do not.

If you don't patent your ideas & inventions , Yep , someone else will invent the telephone first.

If you patent it , you have to be able, to afford to defend the patent, because if you do not, you can loose it.

A friend of mine , has several inventions, that he licenses to many companies, for fees for many years with confidentially agreements, to help protect himself - so he believes.

Better know the man you trust and then carry a gun to defend the trust.

Ronald Reagan said often to Mikhail Gorbachev :

" Trust But Verify ".

Hope that was helpful; Good Luck - Buddy !

Best Regards,

Joe Woodall, Managing Partner

Georgia Adobe Rammed Earth & Renewable Energy

2395 Bowman Hwy. NW.

Dewy Rose GA 30634

www.georgiaadobe.com

Thank you for your time and consideration! You mention a friend who has licensed his inventions ..... do you know anyone who has licensed his inventions / idea to a major corporation AND the "relationship" has worked for both parties? In other words, was the company able to successfully take this invention / idea to market and the individual was compensated (in accordance with his requirements)? Thanks again!

do you know anyone who has licensed his inventions / idea to a major corporation AND the "relationship" has worked for both parties?

The individual who got Hewlett Packard into calculators was never an employee of HP. I watched an interview with him a month or so ago, and it was quite interesting. I can't remember where on the web I got it though... possibly here... or EDN.

I once asked my ex-boss why we had so much of our work as "patent pending" rather than finishing and receiving the patents. His reply was that patents are worthless. So long as it is "pending", there is no disclosure to the outside world. The instant the patent is issued, the full information becomes public knowledge. Some young bright engineer will read your patent and say "I can do it better!!" and proceed to do so.

Sincerely

Bill

So true.

But, nonetheless, if you produce on the basis of the patent pending, a product, you have likewise revealed your patent to the world and some bright young etc....

That is the problem inherent in private ownership of "patent rights" as opposed to public ownership and some other method of funding those bright young engineers.

j.

Show me the Idea I will buy it, whole world is energy hungry.

You hit the nail right on the head! I show / identify the idea and "poof" it is now out there and I would have nothing.... this is the issue!

In post #7 you said:

"I do not believe a current / available piece of equipment used in a different application (without modification) can be protected."

I'm no patent expert but if you came up with a new process, even if it uses existing equipment, the process itself may be patentable.