Making money off of introducing new automobile feature?

No! He's asking what the patent attorney does once a client comes to him with an idea. What steps does the attorney take to ensure that the client's idea is fully protected.

How is that not obvious? lol

 

Hell, I imagine MOST (if not all) patent attorneys at least have someone available (if not themselves) to do a mini-consultation over the phone as to what would be needed before you came in to actually talk shop with them.

My first "real" job back in the late 90's...we shared a floor with a couple of patent attorneys I used to toke with. I picked their brain once or twice...but I don't remember anything they told me.

Seriously though, they were both pretty well off. I know they deal with a lot more than just helping new ideas in the patent process. I don't know what exactly, however.

 

Wow. Just, wow.

Jesus C. I'm done here.

 

RV6,

As SunsRocketFan already pointed out, go to uspto.gov and just start searching anything that could be similar to yours. You will have to read through a lot of crap, it's at least two solid weeks of full time work. Let just say it's a vizer add on, I would search vizer, car interior, velcro, w/e. Did a ton of that for my senior design project I also learned that one of the most important things an engineer does is document everything for the purpose of patent filings and/or lawsuits.

If you truly find the idea to be original, go get a lawyer and patent it. Him and patent office should also help make sure it's a truly original idea. If company develops this internally and tries to sell it and you have the patent, it's still your idea and you can sue. Tech company patent a ton of stuff they never intend to commercialize in case someone else find a way to make money off of it. Think the Playstation rumble controllers lawsuit.

Ziggy,

google result

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Does-A-Patent-Lawyer-Do?&id=5040512

Not a patent lawyer but I play one on bbs

 

I have an idea for a way to improve cars also and I'll even share mine...

Some one needs to invent a sliding "tray" of some sort so smokers don't drive around littering and using the world as their cigarette butt recepticle. As a daily motorcycle rider who has been hit by flaming hot embers tossed out by these inconsiderate jerks who have no consideration for others or the cleanliness of the earth nothing pisses me off more. Every intersection in the country has their trash lying there just waiting to be cleaned up by someone else. I respect their right to smoke but they need to be respectful of the world around them.

I'd call this invention the "ash tray" and people who don't smoke could use it as a change holder or small trash can.

 

You may be interested in Robert Kearns. They also made a movie about his story: Flash of Genius.

 

I have a PDF copy of a PowerPoint presentation that a patent attorney gave on Intellectual Property. What I gathered from the presentation was that obtaining a patent is an incredibly long, frustrating, and a difficult process in the US (laws differ from country to country), which is why having the middle man (patent attorney) helps tremendously.

Since you have a product design/suggestion/improvement you should strongly consider contacting a patent attorney (but be aware that the process of paying a patent attorney may take ~$2000 depending on the product, idea, or service; still it's worth it if you believe your idea can generate you income and trying to patent something solo might cost you more time and money).

 

Yeah, don't show Ford your ideal without a patent, a video of you telling them, and remember to pee in the corner of the office somewhere to show you were there.

Seriously though, speaking with a Patent attorney to get a general ideal of the process without actually being specific would be a good start.

Also maybe look into something like this: http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/27/as-seen-on-tv-telebrands-inventor-day/#

note: Please be sure to have appropriate intellectual property protection before disclosing your inventions.

 

File a provisional patent first. It gives you a year to file the full patent while also establishing a primacy date. I think it only costs a couple hundred bucks if memory serves. You won't need to go into the same detail as a full patent requires (ie no claims).