App idea protection

[Belloni]

Hi guys,

I've got an idea for an app, but i have no idea how to create one or can afford a developer so i've managed to get a meeting with an MD of a software development company next week.

Now I have no funding or anything that's why i'm going to see him to seek advice on the matter e.g how to take it to market etc or maybe even get them to help do it?

My question is how can I protect my idea if i can? I've read about an NDA agreement is good way to start?

 

[Imy]

NDA but that hasn't stopped some pretty big companies in the past.

 

[jas72]

I don't think you can protect ideas.

 

[Imy]

Patent also if it's applicable.

 

[GravyMonster]

From what you've said, I'm amazed you even managed to get a meeting.

Image very relevant:

 

[jas72]

my idea was an app to say how much money you made going to the loo during work.

You would input your annual gross salary and then start the timer and stop once you left the loo and it would tell you howmuch you earned during your "break".

Alas someone already made such an app...

 

[t.oldaker]

my idea was an app to say how much money you made going to the loo during work.

You would input your annual gross salary and then start the timer and stop once you left the loo and it would tell you howmuch you earned during your "break".

Alas someone already made such an app...

Pwahaha

 

[cjgardens]

I'm very interested in this. I'm in the same boat

I have a idea and contacted apple.

Ill find you a link what they sent me, basically if you tell them your idea they can do what they want with it.

www.apple.com/legal/policies/ideas.html

 

[Mr. Brightside]

Ideas are cheap, the effort is in execution.

 

[Burnsy2023]

So many people think they have good ideas, but in reality they don't. Or it's been done before.

 

[Name]

Nothing can protect you.

The company will listen to your idea,
Tell you to get lost,
Copy the idea,
They make millions,
You remain poor.

 

[Burnsy2023]

Ideas are cheap, the effort is in execution.

Indeed. Ideas aren't really worth much like people think. Taking them from idea to a useful implementation is where all of the worth is.

 

[TriedandTested]

Indeed. Ideas aren't really worth much like people think. Taking them from idea to a useful implementation is where all of the worth is.

Tell that to the patenting industry.

 

[NathanE]

The value is in the execution of an idea, not the idea.

Evidence? See the differing fortunes of MySpace vs Facebook.

You need to bring something else to the table other than just an idea. Otherwise you'll get shut out in the cold in no time at all. As you won't be the one doing all the work.

PS: An NDA for something like this is pointless. It doesn't protect you at all. It's called "non disclosure" for a reason; it simply means they cannot spread the information around to others. It does nothing to stop them executing on the idea themselves.

 

[D.P.]

Hi guys,

I've got an idea for an app, but i have no idea how to create one or can afford a developer so i've managed to get a meeting with an MD of a software development company next week.

Now I have no funding or anything that's why i'm going to see him to seek advice on the matter e.g how to take it to market etc or maybe even get them to help do it?

My question is how can I protect my idea if i can? I've read about an NDA agreement is good way to start?

You can't really protect an idea very well, at least not without a reduction to practice.

Find an NDA document, put your name on it, cross your fingers. NDA won't protect you from anyone developing your idea though. You need a patent but you are not in a position to patent your idea.


Also, since you are not an experienced software developer expect you idea not to be novel, probably already patented, or might even exist.

 

[D.P.]

Tell that to the patenting industry.

Patents don't protect idea but protect methods and mechanisms to implement an idea. E.g., you cannot implement a vague idea of a car, but you could patent some optimization of a combustion engine component that saves 1% gasoline if you have proof of implementation (either prototype or reasoning on how this is implemented using basic existing technology).

Patents are designed to stop competitions implementing the same idea, only copying the same method. Of course companies will try to get every conceivable patent surrounding all methods and try to make the patents broad enough to cover any conceivable incarnation but that isn't the original goal of patent.

And owning the patent is a fraction of the battle, if you don't have sufficient legal and financial backing to defend yourself it is useless.

 

[kierenharrold]

If it's a really good idea, the MD will tell you it's a bad idea and several month later you will see it in the app store.

 

[Belloni]

If it's a really good idea, the MD will tell you it's a bad idea and several month later you will see it in the app store.

That's what I'm worried about.

So the safest bet is to save enough money to pay a developer and keep it between him/her and myself?

 

[kwerk]

You have nothing. You have a half-baked idea. Ideas are free.

You have to do it better and faster than everyone else.

 

[kwerk]

Once you have at least a working prototype to present to investors then you can have an NDA to try and protect the inner workings. But unless you have 10s of 1000s of £ to sue people even that doesn't do much.