"Million Dollar" Idea...Consumer Electronics Product...What do I do Next?

[masmdu]

I have come up with a Fantastic! idea for a consumer electronics product. The item doesn't exist yet but could be easily made with current technology.

It wouldn't be expensive and I'm quite sure that many people would want one.

I really believe this may be a "million dollar" idea.

Sorry for being so vague but I want to protect my idea....

Question...

What do I do next? How do I go about getting this thing made and marketed?

Has anybody out there in DU ever done this...taken an idea form concept to finished marketable product?

TIA

[tekriter]

1. Whatever you do, don't fall for...

one of those "WE'LL MARKET YOUR INVENTION AND YOU WILL MAKE A TRILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!" scams.

My sister found out the hard way that all she got for her $3000 was a slick book touting her invention, and the book turned out to have 48 pages of boilerplate, TWO pages about her invention. She also got a Market Analysis of some sort that showed that "products like hers" sold in excess of XXX millions of dollars per year, and that her idea was patentable.

She also got a patent application which was rejected because there were already patents issued for the same thing - which is something her $3000 was supposed to tell her.

Of course, there's no way to get your money back because the company has splashed on every sheet of paper a disclaimer that "no promises are expressed or implied, patent issues are at the sole discretion of the US Patent Office, etc."

Good luck - but be careful.

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Talk to a patent attorney

maybe you know one or a friend knows one. That's the best place to start probably. That way you don't have to worry about somebody stealing your idea or getting burned by the other posters scenario.

[masmdu]

3. how detailed does a patent need to be...?

Can I just patent the concept with out the particulars of the design involved? I know very little about electronics design but I'm certain that this device could be made with off the self technology.

[MidwestTransplant]

4. No way

Patents are exceptionally detailed. First of all, if you do it yourself, somebody could easily steal it because your patent will for sure be sloppy. Second, the PTO may reject your patent since you won't know how to do it properly.