Our school service learning group came up with a design for a briefcase which has the internal components that allow the user to charge items using the attached solar panels. We did not come up with any of the parts ourselves, but just ordered them from several different sites. Is it possible to patent this in a creative-commons-type manner? We want other non-profit groups to be able to use our designs.
Is it even possible to patent in the first place?
Please say how we can patent it and reference your source. Thank you.
You can patent the DESIGN that you come up with for the briefcase, but not the idea of a solar-powered briefcase. Draw out your design(s), and submit them to the patent office with a description of the function of the case. It can all be done online, but if you really think you have a design worth protecting, then you would need to hire a patent attorney to perform a search for similar patents and to properly file yours.
Comments
You can patent the DESIGN that you come up with for the briefcase, but not the idea of a solar-powered briefcase. Draw out your design(s), and submit them to the patent office with a description of the function of the case. It can all be done online, but if you really think you have a design worth protecting, then you would need to hire a patent attorney to perform a search for similar patents and to properly file yours.
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Your best bet is to take it to a patent attorney.
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I saw this on a TV show maybe a year ago. I believe that it’s already existing, I even saw it in a backpack format for kid’s and their i-pods, etc. So, while I think your idea is fabulous, I would check it out as I think it’s already out there in use.
However, that being said, perhaps your design is a bit different? I commend you for your thinking and it’s people like you instead of politicians who can save our country/planet.
Also, one other thing. Never put your idea out on the internet unless you want someone to take it and beat you to the production of it. Not everyone is honest, sadly.
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It sounds like what you want to do is patent it, then give it away, making sure that no one else can charge for the design.
I think what you really want to do is disclose this into the public domain. Make a full writeup of your design, the post it on the web somewhere. There are actually sites that take ideas for a small fee, used by corporations to disclose things to make sure that other companies can’t patent the idea, either.
By simply releasing your idea in this way, you avoid a LOT of legal hassle and expense in getting your patent. Also, it is unlikely that your entire idea is completely novel, so you wouldn’t be able to guarantee to any user of the information that your idea was free of patent infringement. But if you’re just publishing the idea, you don’t need to make any such guarantee - just let people take their chances.
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I have gone through the patent process, but with corporate lawyers to help. It would have been horrible and expensive to do it myself. I have also gone through the defensive publication (release to the public domain) process. That was easy and fun.