Protecting plan B intellectual property

[minestrone]

I'm looking to promote plan b to a number of companies which I think will be interested to some extent in the product.

Basically I don't want to do a pitch and as I am walking out the door hear the head of development getting called into the room I just left. The advice I have been given is to always introduce a non disclosure agreement before any meeting but was wondering how far this actually goes in protecting your idea? I am getting the impression that it does feck all.

Also how do companies usually react when asked to sign a non disclosure agreements, is it not a bit of a passion killer when doing the pitch?

Cheers

[Platypus]

how do companies usually react when asked to sign a non disclosure agreements

Not very well, most likely their legal team will want to check it over which takes time. Not good for a pitch.

Also, what makes you think that "non disclosure" will protect your IP ? Non-disclosure means not telling anyone outside the company about it, it doesn't mean they promise not to copy it.

[minestrone]

I spoke to a 'intellectual property' expert through the business gateway and that was his advice.

I thought it was bollocks so I thought I would pitch it out to the forum.

[TheFaQQer]

Non disclosure isn't really going to do much, unless you have something in there that stops them copying the idea as well.

Getting a company to sign a document which prohibits them from copying / developing something along the same lines isn't going to happen, unless you tell them what you are proposing. Which you don't want to do in case they rip-off the idea.

So, instead, you really need to look into what protection you can have in place - if you have something which is patentable, then go that route. But make sure you talk to an expert patent lawyer first - the first stop in patent applications is to disclose exactly what you are patenting. To do that, you need to disclose the whole thing, so if in the end the patent fails, you've just given the idea away. Some years back a mathematician tried to patent a new way to work out square roots, and failed in the application (you can't patent a mathematical formula essentially). In doing so, he gave away how to do it, when he could have sold the method to someone like Intel and made a fortune.

Have a read here - Intellectual Property Office - Welcome to the Intellectual Property Office - and see what you might be able to protect.

[BlueSharp]

Take a read of the Lean Startup. It makes a good point of how companies are not interested in stealing your ideas at startup. However they will when you start getting clients and making money, at which point you will have a lot more competition.

[eek]

Take a read of the Lean Startup. It makes a good point of how companies are not interested in stealing your ideas at startup. However they will when you start getting clients and making money, at which point you will have a lot more competition.

WBSS. Until you have customers no one will care apart what you are doing.

The only thing you need to remember is to leave some money for other people and understand the purchase limits of the department. If the software costs £100,000 and they can only sign off £25,000 you've got a problem if the software costs £25,000 with support and customization costing £25,000 a year you're on to a winner.