selling your idea to big company

[Alabam]

Found lots of great threads on this Forum about the making and selling of your own pickups.
I found out that what started out as fun could later on be a bit of a trial.
It made me check out on the web what would happen if you tried to get the weight of your shoulders and get a company to take your prototype on.
This link sets out some pointers.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_b...g-ideas-t.html

[Possum]

....

This is a risky deal no matter how you look at it. Say you have a cool pickup idea, you show it to some big company and they say nice idea, not interested. Six months later they release a new pickup just like yours. You scream bloody murder, and they say well get a lawyer. You can't afford one, and they have found a patent similar to yours and claim you ripped the idea off anyway. The guy with the most money wins these things. If you have a good idea for a new pickup, build them and sell them yourself, if its a really good idea eventually someone will make one like it etc. etc. Unforunately this is how the music biz is.....

[Alabam]

Looks like you are right, there are a lot of users out there.
After a year of pickup making I`ve got to the stage where they are starting to look marketable, so i might give it a go selling them on my own.

[DoctorX]

Six months later they release a new pickup just like yours. You scream bloody murder, and they say well get a lawyer. You can't afford one, and they have found a patent similar to yours and claim you ripped the idea off anyway. The guy with the most money wins these things....

Gee whiz....doesn't this sound familiar? I saw this soap opera out here on the East Coast a few times....in fact, it's playing right now!

Doctor X.

[Possum]

....

OMG, I thought you were dead, whats going on over there :-)

[DoctorX]

OMG, I thought you were dead, whats going on over there :-)

To quote Mark Twain: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

I have returned.....it's time to play.

Doctor X