Hi canyouhelpplease,
In the UK, there are four possibilities for protecting original work:
TRADE MARKS:
Trade Marks identify the products or services of particular traders.
PATENTS:
Patents protect working parts and processes.
DESIGNS:
Designs protect the outward shape and appearance of a product.
COPYRIGHT:
Copyright gives protection to the creators of certain kinds of
material [protection is automatic].
In my opinion, you have two possibilities open to you, Trade Mark (for
sure) and Patent (probably).
>>>>>>
TRADE MARKS
"A trade mark is any sign which can distinguish the goods and services
of one trader from those of another. A sign includes, for example,
words, logos, pictures, or a combination of these.
Basically, a trade mark is a badge of origin, used so that customers
can recognise the product of a particular trader."
http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/whatis/definition.htm
How to Apply for a Trade Mark:
http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/howtoapply/index.htm
>>>>>>
PATENTS
"...patents are therefore concerned with, for example, how things
work, what they do, how they do it, what they are made of or how they
are made."
What kinds of things do patents cover?
"Patents are generally intended to cover products or processes that
possess or contain new functional or technical aspects; patents are
therefore concerned with, for example, how things work, what they do,
how they do it, what they are made of or how they are made."
To be patentable your invention must:
* Be new:
The invention must never have been made public in any way, anywhere
in the world, before the date on which an application for a patent is
filed.
* Involve an inventive step:
An invention involves an inventive step if, when compared with what
is already known, it would not be obvious to someone with a good
knowledge and experience of the subject.
If the invention involves more than these abstract aspects so that it
has physical features (such as a special apparatus to play a new game)
then it may be patentable.
http://www.patent.gov.uk/patent/definition.htm
How to Apply for a Patent:
http://www.patent.gov.uk/patent/howtoapply/index.htm
Do this early - "you will not be granted the patent or registered
design protection if you have already disclosed it to the public."
http://www.intellectual-property.gov.uk/std/faq/question2.htm
Patent Clinics:
http://www.cipa.org.uk/who_are_we/clinics.htm
>>>>>>
DESIGNS
We cannot register designs which are:
* concerned only with how a product works
http://www.patent.gov.uk/design/definition.htm
>>>>>>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright "protects the way the idea is expressed in a piece of work,
but it does not protect the idea itself."
http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/definition.htm
>>>>>>
Additional Links:
How do I get protection for my idea/material?:
http://www.intellectual-property.gov.uk/
Getting Advice:
http://www.intellectual-property.gov.uk/std/resources/profiting_from_ip/getting_advice.htm
I hope I've been able to help to sort this out for you. If you have
any questions, please post a clarification request before
closing/rating my answer and I'll be happy to reply.
Thank you,
hummer
Google Search Terms Used:
uk copyright
uk copyright ideas |
Clarification of Answer by
hummer-ga
on
11 Jun 2004 10:38 PDT
Hi canyouhelpplease,
We seem to have misunderstood each other a bit.
"Would non disclosure agreements work?"
"There must be a way of showing a company an idea and keep it protected."
I'm sorry, I thought you were asking about protecting your jig saw
puzzles for manufacturing and the market place. Yes, a Non-Disclosure
Agreement (NDA) would suit you very well and you'll find a guide at
the "Practical Advice for Business", Department of Trade and Commerce
website, however, you should still register a good trade mark and look
into getting a patent for when they are ready for the stores.
NONDISCLOSURE AND CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS
"Ideas cannot be copyrighted. Instead, they are protected by the law
of confidentiality and secrets. The UK law of confidentiality is the
right to prevent disclosure of confidential information acquired in
confidential circumstances. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), also
known as confidentiality agreements, allow an entrepreneur to keep an
idea secret while sharing it with industry contacts. They are designed
to allow you to share your trade secrets with employees, partners and
suppliers while preventing them from divulging this information to
anybody else."
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l3=1074415494&r.l2=1073859014&r.t=RESOURCES&r.i=1074417898&r.l1=1073858796&r.s=sc&topicId=1074415494
"A one-way NDA is used when only one business is sharing information
and the other agrees to keep it confidential."
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?r.l3=1074415494&r.l2=1073859014&r.t=RESOURCES&r.i=1074417521&r.l1=1073858796&r.s=sc&type=RESOURCES&itemId=1074417582
Preparing a non-disclosure agreement:
"Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are a low-cost way to protect your
business' ideas. NDA templates can be bought off the shelf, allowing
you to adjust them for your needs. This is inexpensive and the
template can be reused.
You can buy a non-disclosure agreement from the CompactLaw website.
You can also read about or buy a non-disclosure agreement from the
Legalpulse website. There are many other websites that offer similar
services."
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?r.l3=1074415494&r.l2=1073859014&r.l1=1073858796&r.s=m&type=RESOURCES&itemId=1074417990#
Find a Solicitor:
http://www.solicitors-online.com/
>>>>>
"It's not a Trademark"
I know your idea is not a trade mark, but you should come up with a
clever trade mark that somehow conveys your idea.
>>>>>
"It's not a Patent - Since it's not an invention, or has any working
parts etc - it's simply an idea of a design."
Here you have a possibility - I know jig saw puzzles are not a new
invention, but it sounds like *how it works* (several different
solutions to one puzzle) may be a new invention. It would be worth a
look into this.
"...patents are therefore concerned with, for example, how things
work, what they do, how they do it, what they are made of or how they
are made."
>>>>>
"Because it's not a finished design and it could be altered - it's
simply an idea for a layout it can't be designed protected."
"And Copyright "protects the way the idea is expressed in a piece of
work, but it does not protect the idea itself."
Yes, that is why I discounted those two options in my answer.
>>>>>
"How are ideas for board games protected?"
If you had an idea for a new game, you would register a trade mark,
take out a patent on your invention and register the design as well.
>>>>>
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Sincerely - and Good Luck!
hummer
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