I have a major safety device idea for the boating industry. After it came to mind, I can't believe it has been added to boats already.

I mentioned it to two other avid boaters (Brother in law and cousin)and they thought it was a great idea and told I better run with it.

Problem is, its an idea. Probably a million different ways to manufacture the idea and end up with the same end result so it would be difficult to patent.

Is an idea worth anything?

draw it out in detail and copyright your drawings then apply for patent.

working model helps a ton for patent.

get the paperwork done then market it to boat mfrs. or retailers or whatever the target market is, if it is a great idea you can probably sell it to a co. pat pending.

I think that is how it is, I looked into it yrs. ago for an electric car build, never got the cash to build a go cart sized prototype. that was in the late 70s

if you have a new manufacturing method that is part of the idea you should patent that too, how to make stuff is worth a bunch if someone wants to buy, good way to hang on to some residuals also I think.

Target market would be boat manufacturers, but could be an aftermarket deal as well I suppose.

Doesn't hurt to talk with a patent attorney. You will likely need a working prototype or at least good drawings and concept of it.

Here's who I used for mine.

https://us-patentattorney.com/about-trenner-law-firm/

talk to the atty hancock has up, worst he can do is spit on the floor and call you a few names, I think.

In 1989 I built a charging device to work with boats to allow charging from the vehicle while going down the road. I added a trolling motor plug on the bumper and ran heavy wire to the truck battery and connected it with a cord from the bumper to the boat at the trolling motor plug in the bow area. I then built a charging circuit to isolate and 'switch' the boat batteries out of series in a 24v circuit to 12v so it could charge them both. I needed around $50k, which I didn't have, to get a custom manufactured zener diode and a patent. I never did anything else with it and regretted not pursuing it further. There are many options to do this now. All that to say, you should at least give it a shot and don't always wonder if you might have had something there.

I spent a couple hundred with a patent attorney that did a preliminary search for the feasibility of getting a patent, years ago. Well worth it in my opinion.

If there really are multiple ways to build the thing, you may have to look at multiple patents to protect yourself. A patent for an idea or concept is much more difficult to defend than a patent on a specific design.

You could start a Kickstarter campaign, where consumers pay you now so you have funding to develop your product, then they get it the first ones off the line at a discounted price. This helps you get up and running. There are probably other ways to get more conventional investors involved, if that’s the route you want to take.

Make a retro fit option, then go lobby states to require it make millions

Jack some things are meant to stay secret........

^^^^^ this .

Cousin came up with the EZ Step and is doing quite well now .

This^^^^^

Also beware of Patent Pirates, they are usually Chinese people hired to find loopholes in newly acquired patents and then they end up suing you and either taking money or the patent over.

I do not know how to get a patent. But, I want to guess what it is. My guess is it’s a catapult to be able to lob engine blocks at wakeboard boats. Am I correct? What do I win? I want something cool.