If I have an idea what do I do

Have an idea? Give us a call. Discussions with patent attorneys are protected by law. And, we can quickly give you suggestions on how best to protect your invention.

Basically, if you can point to a “feature” on your product, and that “feature” was not previously known anywhere in the world, the chances are it can be patented. This will prevent others from adding the same feature to their product … even if they combine it with 1,000 other features.

By calling us, you can quickly identify the feature that is potentially “new”. And, if your idea is not inherently patentable, there is no charge. The next step is to conduct a patent search – less than one percent of inventions are “in the market”. Our charge to conduct a patent search is R4,950. This is not compulsory, but is highly recommended, and takes about 4 days.

When you are satisfied that you have a patentable feature that is worth protecting, we can turn to preparing a provisional patent for R5,950 (plus vat). This takes about two weeks. But before starting drafting, we will discuss (at a meeting, over the phone or via skype) potential ways to “design around your invention”. This will lead to a much stronger patent.

When you are happy with our provisional patent specification and drawings (created using your 3D CAD model), we will file the application. The ball is then back in your court, and you can start walking the path to market.