Protecting your business ideas

**4thrilz** · 05-01-2008 01:36 PM

Hello All,

I wanted to gather some insight from you folks on protecting business ideas during the beta phase.

I am planning a business at the moment that will utilize new software that MS has developed for a specific industry. I along with my team have discovered that this new software can be used in another industry all together. Since we are in the planning stages and development of a biz-plan we are concerned about our proprietary knowledge of this product getting out. One major reason is we are looking for MS to fund the business idea that we have created. We do not want to introduce it for them to develop. I am not sure as to how to go about doing this. Hopefully I have provided enough info for you all. Please let me know if there are any specific questions.

Thanks,

**jasaunders** · 05-01-2008 01:55 PM

The problem is, you're going to want Microsoft to sign an NDA and/or noncompete. Microsoft won't sign it because their business is too similiar to yours and they don't want a frivilous lawsuit if they have already done something similiar or are planning to do something even remotely similiar. For that reason, it will be extremely hard to get funded by MS.

**4thrilz** · 05-01-2008 02:45 PM

Great point. Then in this instance do you have an idea of how to move forward? I know that Google buys up and or partners with small companies that have a great idea on the web. I was trying to do something similar but in the service arena.

We have spoken to a MS rep in the DC area and they were the ones that opened us up to the idea of possible getting funded. I do not know if this is a ploy to gather intel for MS or to truly help entrepreneur's...

**cnarcisse21** · 05-02-2008 01:31 PM

I agree with the other guy, Microsoft won't sign an NDA b/c its put them at risk for being sued. I am not a software expert at all, but what if you licensed your software instead of handing it over to them. That's pretty much what MS did in the 80s to Apple and all the other players. If you license your software to whatever target market your interested in, you would protect your idea, control all the revenue, and you can distribute it to any customer/client you want to in the world.

Or you could develop the software, go for venture/angel capital to grow the software into a viable business and then sell it to Microsoft.