What to do before a patent

[Gibbo]

I have a product idea, what should I do before I rush to the patent office to try and gain a patent for the product? UK patents cost GBP200, so they're an expensive option and, of course, there's no guarantee you'll be granted with the patent. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Sean

[fthom]

You first have to be sure that your product isn't already patented...and that certain parts aren't patented!

I suppose you could try and find an investor who would be willing to get the product to market and pay for patents etc. but other than that I'm not sure!

Hope it works out for you

[Gibbo]

It's a relatively simplistic idea, consisting of few component parts. I've done some patent searches and, so far, haven't found anything similar.

Finding an investor can be a lengthy process too, I'll do some more market research for now!

[Auspreneur]

First ask yourself why you need a patent????

[Jordanyu74]

Well present your idea to close family see what they think of the idea and if its worth it.