Whelp~ time to start as any!

[Zacharyah]

Incidentally, it's in rather poor taste to discuss a business you're planning on starting on another company's forum, especially when your products will be in direct competition.

[FenixFire]

Incidentally, it's in rather poor taste to discuss a business you're planning on starting on another company's forum, especially when your products will be in direct competition.

I agree and apologize, I attempted to PM him but he has not reached the required limit. I simply saw a young man, profiling to be late teen to mid twenties, falling into the same mistakes 99% of all young entrepreneurs fall into. And the "I am investing in Z technology and was initially thinking of doing X but have decided to do Y because of the current fad" comment that in 15 years of consulting new product development I have honestly only seen succeed 3 times. With all 3 being as secondary income that supports the make hobby that spawned it. The mentoring part of me kicked in trying to get him to do the research and set realistic expectations. I have seen no less than a dozen close friends who have all had years of R&D experience blow 100s of thousands of dollars trying to launch 3D printing direct to consumer product ventures...only simple tchotchke offerings like shapeways offering ever come close to turning a profit.

I meant Tim no disrespect, as several of my previous posts have hopefully shown, I respect his quality and exceptionally reasonable pricing on parts. To be honest one could not go to CrapParts.com and have their CNC division turn the parts for less, and they will not add the internal boring or internal threading. There is nothing better than making a living or subsidising a living through a hobby...that's why I design, that's why I teach, That's why I coach, That's why I mentor...I would never intentionally take that or hinder that from anyone.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Incidentally, it's in rather poor taste to discuss a business you're planning on starting on another company's forum, especially when your products will be in direct competition.

BINGO. I will now be monitoring this thread.

[Cire Yeldarb]

Incidentally, it's in rather poor taste to discuss a business you're planning on starting on another company's forum, especially when your products will be in direct competition.

If you'd read through everything, you would have seen that he said this was for "gift and self-use", not a business he is starting. That was an assumption of Fenix's part.

I don't want this blade being replicated for sale. But more as a make for non profit (gift and self use) if it is successful.

[FenixFire]

If you'd read through everything, you would have seen that he said this was for "gift and self-use", not a business he is starting. That was an assumption of Fenix's part.

Probably so, but as soon as anyone mentions patents...they are intending to sell. There is no justifiable reason to take the time and money to patent an idea unless you intend to sell said idea. But a patent is only as good as the Lawyer who drafted the verbiage, and the pocket book of the one holding it.

[Cire Yeldarb]

Probably so, but as soon as anyone mentions patents...they are intending to sell. There is no justifiable reason to take the time and money to patent an idea unless you intend to sell said idea. But a patent is only as good as the Lawyer who drafted the verbiage, and the pocket book of the one holding it.

I respectfully disagree. I could see someone patenting an idea specifically to keep someone else (SF) from turning around, reverse engineering the idea, and selling it themselves to make a profit - all off of your hard work and research. At least then you have some manner of protection for your idea.

I agree with you in that, if say Disney wanted to reverse engineer the idea and sell it, you are hosed. But it at least protects you from lower level companies trying to steal your idea and use it for their own gain.

[FenixFire]

So your personal use item is worth; say you use one of the worthless online service for a functional patent you will pay $2,995 for the minimal 3 page patent boilerplate, 3 drawings of the device...better hope every aspect of the design and functionality is captured in those 3 drawings, and no more than 15 claims. To honestly protect his design as described I see no less than 30 claims on the potential weighted and articulated blade alone, with a detail drawing of each claim. This would be in the $8,000-$10,000 range plus the $400 USPTO fee. He could go a design patent but they are very hard to defend as even the simplest change in form factor deviates from the patent.

By the way, a patent can and are dismissed if no attempt is made to commercialize them in a reasonable amount of time. I have seen and worked on countless programs for clients where similar patents were filed and sat on for 5-10 years with no attempt to commercialize. On the rare instance where the patent holder files an injunction, it either went into arbitration and the holder was required to sell at the cost for filing or the injunction was dismissed.

I understand the (SF) issues, and have experienced it both professionally and personally...but in every case I did it as a personal project, posted it on a DIY forum or magazine. Now Yakim, John Deere, and several other companies sell almost my exact build. Am I pissed not really, honestly had no intentions or resources to put into the commercialization of said products.

[Cire Yeldarb]

Not gonna lie: If I was potentially coming up with something this innovative to the hobby, I'd spend that kinda money just to keep SF from stealing it. Even if I had no intention of selling it myself, I would HATE to see someone else selling my work, and just that is worth the money to me.

[Cire Yeldarb]

By the way, parents can and are turned over if no attempt is made to commercialize them.

lol I hope not!

jk, I know what you meant.

I understand and appreciate your information. but sometimes we non-professionals are just crazy about protecting our ideas, even temporarily haha

[FenixFire]

Thanks..spelling corrected...good thing my degrees are technically art degrees.

I know, sometimes it is hard for us callused professional who understand the difference (investment of time, money, logistics) between and idea and a product to relate to the lone inventor. The craziest was I once had 4 inventors contact me, each from a different part of the country, with basically the same idea for a "New" barbeque grill within a week of each other. BTW, the idea was a water smoker...minus the water bath. An item sold since the mid 70's...but lost prominence as gas grills and smokers came into the market in the early 90's.