Needing help in patenting a game??

[caldow]

Hi guys,
I am fairly new to this website but wondering if anyone has advice on how to patent a game and how to properly bring something like this to the market the right way. I did a little reading up on this and it seems as though getting something patented can be a real lengthy process and there are many barriers. I recently played this game and the person who designed it just for fun and was not looking at the business opportunity behind it. That is why I do not know a lot in this area as my other business interests are involved with the service side of business.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Joe

[capforge]

Breaking into the toy industry with a new game is very, very difficult. Very few games make it out of thousands that try. Before spending a cent on a patent, you should spend a lot more time making sure there is something unique, exciting and compelling about this game- and not just among you and your friend, but among lots of people you don't know- and not just when presented with the option of playing that game or nothing- but put your game in along with 4 or 5 others, and see if people would rather play your game more than anything else. New inventions don't fail because they didn't get a patent- they fail because there was no market. So figure that part out first.

[ron komorowski]

This is what you need to do. go buy the "Toy Inventors Handbook" It is the well known book for toy inventors. There is no other book coming remotely close to it's resources. It will take you through all the processes that are easy to understand for the novice but it is amazingly thorough and it gives you a list of hundreds of toy companies looking for new ideas and the contact names and phone #'s along with how many ideas each company looks at a year and how many they accept.

In the toy industry you don't generally need a patent because a hot toy has come and gone before a patent can issue. The industry generally works on a "handshake" with invited in only inventors. BUT...this is for the larger companies, they want "professional" toy inventors because EVERYONE has a toy invention, so they can't be bogged down with all these submissions....BUT...the smaller toy companies can really welcome you and be the exception to the rule.

I had a toy company invite me right in and I sat in the conference room with the top 5 or 6 people. this company had worldwide sales. They are Shelcore Toys. So you never know until you try but you MUST read that book or you will be just wasting your time trying to pitch your idea and probably will never even get a chance! I know, I am an accomplished inventor.

There are also clubs just for board game inventors where all help each other. The info should be in the book. Hope that helps you!

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
Handi Straps Lifting System Home