How Biometrics Could Transform Travel

Biometrics, or the measuring of physical characteristics as metrics (or for use as identification), used to be the stuff of spy movies. But over the past couple of years, biometrics have become mainstream – take wearable technology like the Fitbit or Jawbone, predictive biometrics in medicine, or all those mobile apps that use your phone to measure your activity level, your sleep cycles, and more.

And you’ve almost certainly heard of another, more controversial biometric: facial recognition technology. This was a huge topic among those concerned with digital privacy when Facebook announced that it would start employing the tech a couple of years back, in order to suggest tags for user photos. In fact, now Facebook’s facial recognition API is so good that it doesn’t even need to see your face to figure out who you are, according to Business Insider.

Plenty of privacy advocates, as well as many of your average concerned citizens, are still up in arms about the idea of a computer system being able to recognize you from a photo or video. But, like it or not, it’s almost certain that the technology is here to stay. And along with any privacy or security concerns, one has to admit there are perks to the widespread use of biometrics.

One area that could be seeing major changes as a result of biometrics is airline travel. Alaska Airlines, for example, tried out a pilot program last summer that had some of their frequent fliers swipe their finger across a tablet in order to get on their planes. The airline had tried it previously to grant access to its exclusive lounges, and according to the airline, customers were very happy with the service.

Completely replacing boarding passes, whether digital or physical, with simple finger swipes may be quite a while away – if it ever happens – but airports and government travel agencies are already using biometrics in several other ways.

Digital passports

After 9/11, passports went from being simple paper booklets to digitally-enhanced documents. You might not be aware of it, but your passport – assuming you got it within the last 14 years or so – includes an electronic chip that holds a digital photo of you as well as descriptive data. Other countries have begun including digital fingerprints and/or digital signatures in their passports as well.

The idea behind digital passports is, of course, to increase security and make it harder to falsify travel documents. As biometric technology continues to evolve continues to evolve, we can expect to see inclusion of even more information – iris recognition, for example – in our digital passports.

Immigration and border crossing procedures

One of Brazil’s largest airports, Viracopos International Airport in Campinas, Sao Paulo, has just launched new biometric, self-service gates called Automated Border Control (ABC) eGates.

The ABC gates use facial recognition technology to identify passengers, capturing an image of each person who walks through and comparing it to the digital photo stored on their passport’s chip. If the two match, then the person can proceed through Immigration or Emigration without having to interact with customs officers.

To use it, passengers must hold a Brazilian digital passport and be at least 18 years old.

Some European countries have also initiated the use of facial recognition and fingerprint recognition systems for people crossing through their borders. The program is called Smart Borders, and it may be expanded to include iris recognition as well in the coming years.

Potential for entertainment and payments

You know how Netflix remembers where you left off in a movie or TV series once you start watching again? The future of biometrics could make that possible for airline passengers, too. According to a study by the company Tascent, in-flight entertainment is one possible area in which biometrics could be used.

The idea is that a passenger with two or more legs of travel could watch part of a movie on the first flight. Then on the second flight, she could log in with her fingerprint or other biometric data to pick up right where she left off. Passengers might even be able to access their in-flight entertainment options via their mobile devices.

Biometrics could also make it easier to pay for premium food and drinks on flights or in lounges, or take care of customs and immigration procedures while on one’s flight.

Security risks

Just as there are security benefits to be had from the use of biometric data, there are also certain risks associated with it. For example, what do you do if a hacker steal your fingerprints? It’s not as if you can change them, like you can a password. These are issues that are still being figured out, which is why we can all expect to be using standard methods of identification in addition to biometrics for a while yet.

Pivot has worked on biometric devices including iris recognition technology and a mobile ID management computer. If you’ve got a biometric product you need help developing, contact us for a free consultation!

The 4 Coolest Inventions of 2015

As product development professionals, we are always on the lookout for new inventions that are making our lives better, easier, or more interesting – and that includes products that are just really, really cool, too.

And as technology continues to progress beyond what any of us could have imagined just a short time ago, there’s no shortage of new creations for us to gawk over. Here’s our roundup of four of the coolest inventions we saw in 2015.

The Nima Gluten Sensor

With gluten sensitivity and celiac disease both now firmly in the mainstream consciousness, many restaurants and food producers are doing their best to offer gluten-free products. But as anyone with gluten sensitivity knows, that’s easier said than done. Gluten can be transferred via hands, gloves, utensils, cooking surfaces … it’s a sneaky little particle.

Now, the company 6SensorLabs has come up with a portable gluten sensor, the Nima Sensor, that can tell you if there’s gluten in your food in two minutes. All you do is put a sample of the food into a one-time use cartridge, stick it into the sensor, and wait to see the happy face (no gluten) or the frowning face (gluten).

The co-founder of 6SensorLabs, Shireen Yates, is gluten-sensitive herself, and hopes to eventually create sensors for other food allergies, like peanuts and dairy.

Microsoft’s HoloLens

In case you hadn’t heard, virtual reality is old hat. The new virtual reality? Augmented reality. Instead of confining you to an imaginary, virtual environment, augmented reality overlays digital images over what you’re actually seeing.

In a gaming context, for example, that might mean fighting a zombie that’s in your actual living room. In an educational context, it could mean visiting a museum and seeing historical information about a painting or artist pop up next to a work of art.

While the HoloLens isn’t ready for consumer purchase yet, tests of the headset’s functionalities have been successful. In fact, it’s already being used by NASA – astronauts aboard the International Space Station can don the headsets to allow ground operators to see what they’re seeing, and provide assistance as needed.

The Safety Truck by Samsung and Leo Burnett

You know how nerve-wracking it can be driving near a semi truck? Not only are they huge and loud, but they also create limited visibility. This, combined with the limited visibility that the truck drivers already have, can spell disaster for drivers – in fact, it often does in Argentina’s narrow, windy roads.

That’s why Samsung and Leo Burnett, an advertising agency, created the Safety Truck (see the above video). A live feed from a video system mounted on the front of the truck is relayed to four screens on the back of the truck, which allows drivers to see what’s ahead. After a successful initial test with a single truck, the companies are working to roll out the Safety Truck system more broadly across Argentina.

Google Cardboard

All right, so it’s not augmented reality, but it’s still pretty cool. Google created a simple cardboard viewer that you can use with your smartphone to experience virtual reality.

It’s like the 21st century version of a Viewmaster: you insert your phone into the viewer, start a Google Cardboard-compatible app, and enjoy your immersive experience. Right now, apps include games, video viewers like YouTube, and educational apps like Expeditions, which allows teachers to take their classes on virtual “field trips.”

Cardboard has been designed specifically as a kind of populist alternative to the pricier virtual reality systems like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, which cost between $600 and $1,000. Google Cardboard, on the other hand, costs whatever it takes to get your hands on some cardboard, rubber bands, lenses, magnets, and velcro.

We’re looking forward to seeing what amazing products our clients come up with this year. If you’d like to work with Pivot, contact us – we can help you with your product design and development, manufacturing, prototyping, and more.

How to Start a Business to Create Your Own Product

There are people who invent as a fun hobby, and then there are people who pour their whole lives, selves, and ambition into shepherding a product from concept to reality.

Whichever type you may fall into, when it comes to getting your product into the market, you’ve got two choices: license your product to another company, or start your own company to manufacture, market, and distribute your product to the masses.

There are pros and cons to both approaches, of course, but for those who really want to pursue their product’s success full-time, starting a company is often an attractive approach. But how do you start the process? Here’s a list of steps to get you started.

1. Realistically evaluate your commitment to your product. If your product is successful, starting a company can offer you the biggest potential for profit. It’s also, of course, a major commitment, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Before you decide to jump in with both feet, think hard about whether you’re ready to commit the time, money, and mental energy to making your business work. If you’re not, maybe you should consider licensing your product. And if you are, then get going on step two!

2. Spend some time searching the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to find patents for products that are similar to yours. Depending on whether or not you want to file for a patent immediately, you might consider hiring a patent professional to do your search for you. If you want to do the search yourself, devote some time to learning how best to use the system.
3. Conduct your market research. You probably already did some of this as you were developing your product – surveying what other similar products to yours already exist, how much they cost, how successful they are, etc. Now that you’re ready to launch your business, however, you want to dig deeper.

There are several ways you can start. One of the simplest is by simply interviewing potential customers, which can be as easy as asking a few work colleagues or friends of friends to take five minutes to answer some questions about your product.

You could also set up a focus group, which will give you more in-depth information about how people feel about your product. You’ll want to keep the group fairly small – about 10 people at most. Keep your questions short and simple and consider hiring a professional moderator to keep the discussion moving in a productive direction.

For more specific, detailed market research, you may want to consider reaching out to professionals. Pivot offers market research as part of its business development services, and we can help you get the data you need to help ensure your success.

4. Draft a business plan. Even if you’ve never considered what goes into a business plan, you don’t need to worry – there’s a wealth of resources, from books to online articles to small business support organizations that can help you get started. Briefly, your plan should include the following:
   • An Executive Summary. A quick overview of your company and the product(s) it’s selling. If you’re presenting this plan to potential investors, this should state clearly and concisely what you’re asking them for.
   • A Business Description. This will tell your readers a bit about the industry you’re entering as well as markets within the industry. You should also include information about any developments within the industry that might affect your product or business success.
   • Market Strategies. This section will detail the findings of your market research.
   • Organization and Management. Describe your business’s structure.
   • Product Line. Here, you’ll want to describe in detail the product or products that you’re developing and selling.
   • Marketing and Sales plan. Give your readers a clear view of how you plan to market and sell your product.

Depending on who you’re presenting your plan to – a potential partner, individual investors, investment companies – there may be additional sections you want to include as well.

After you’ve got your business plan, you’ll be ready to move on to securing funding, if you need it, perfecting your product design, and finding a manufacturer. We’re ready to help you get your product off the ground however we can – contact us to set up a free consultation!

How Inventors Are Taking on Climate Change

Of all the crises that inventors and innovators have had to combat over the centuries, climate change may just be the most important. With temperatures and sea levels rising, attempts to find carbon-free or low carbon-producing energy sources is becoming more urgent with every passing year. That’s one reason we at Pivot have helped create portable solar panels as well as a portable battery that can be charged using solar power.

However, that’s not the only approach inventors are now taking when it comes to alleviating climate change. While that research is just as important as ever, according to several studies – including one by Nathan Myhrvold of Intellectual Ventures and Ken Caldeira of Stanford University – the damage we’ve already done to the planet will result in serious temperature increases over the next forty years.

However, any good inventor knows that hand-wringing does not solve the world’s problems. Instead of giving up the fight, many leaders in the scientific community are looking to what was, until recently, dismissed as a risky, irresponsible possibility: geoengineering.

That refers to attempts to actually alter the world’s climate through a massive, coordinated effort. In other words, we’re not just looking to decrease the carbon dioxide we put out into the world anymore. We’re also looking at capturing the carbon dioxide that’s already out there. So far, it’s all fairly hypothetical and scientists in general agree that we must make permanently decreasing our emissions a major priority. But at the same time, these ideas are now being seriously debated.

Here are just a few of the geoengineering projects that inventors and scientists have come up with recently.

Albedo modification and the StratoShield

Engineered by Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures firm, the StratoShield is designed to reflect solar radiation before it gets trapped in Earth’s atmosphere (called albedo modification). Reaching from the ground toward the sky, the shield would release aerolyzed particles of sulfur dioxide that could reach as high as 18 miles above the Earth.

The sulfur dioxide particles would reflect a small amount of solar radiation, sending it back into space before it can warm the planet.

Critics warn that it could cause majorly different effects in different parts of the world, making it a risky proposition. In addition, we’d have to continue albedo modification for a very long time – most likely centuries – once we embarked upon the method.

Carbon dioxide removal

This is a second type of geoengineering that scientists and inventors are debating. These methods essentially involve removing existing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it safely, or sequestering it – perhaps underground, perhaps in plants or animals.

Carbon sequestration is a natural process first and foremost. Trees and plants, for example, store carbon, capturing it during photosynthesis.

But there are also man-made ways of sequestering carbon. Power plants are one of the biggest producers of carbon dioxide, and some – like a coal plant in Saskatchewan, Canada – have put into place carbon capture technology that captures the carbon dioxide output and stores it deep underground.

Other ideas for artificial carbon sequestration involve injecting carbon dioxide into the deep ocean, where proponents theorize that it would remain due to the pressure of the water surrounding it.

Both these artificial methods are, as you’ve certainly surmised, extremely risky. No one knows, for one, whether or for how long they will actually work. In addition, there’s no way of knowing what other adverse effects they may have on the environment surrounding a sequestration site.

Plus, they have the nasty social and political side effect of making people think that burning fossil fuels can be sustainable, which the scientific community has heartily stated is untrue.

While it’s useful to explore these radical sorts of ideas now, before they’re needed, rather than waiting until doomsday, it’s important for those of us in the innovation and invention industries to work on creating technology that can help us all decrease our emissions.

Do you have a product idea that can help move us toward a cleaner, greener future? If you need help with mechanical design, electronic design, or any other of the services we provide, request a free consultation with one of Pivot’s engineers. You can also simply contact us for help making that idea a reality!

Issues in Intellectual Property – Patent Infringement, Protecting Your Rights, and More

Intellectual property (IP) is an important topic for inventors and product designers. It’s how we make a living, after all—it’s how we protect our ideas.

You’re probably familiar with patents, trade secrets, and trademarks, but there’s a lot more to intellectual property than that. Patent infringement, protecting your IP rights—these can become sticky issues if you don’t have a handle on the legalities. Here’s a brief overview to get you started.

For starters, there are four classifications of intellectual property.

There are four categories of intellectual property: trademarks, trade secrets, patents, and copyrights. Here’s a brief definition of each, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (for more on these four types of intellectual property, see this post, Everything You Need to Know About Intellectual Property).

Trademarks are words, phrases, symbols, and/or designs that identify and distinguish the source of the goods of one party from those of others.

Trade secrets consist of information and can include a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process.

Patents are limited duration property rights relating to an invention.

Copyrights protect works of authorship, such as writings, music, and works of art that have been tangibly expressed.

While obtaining trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are relatively simple processes, the patent process can be somewhat confusing. For some tips on how to go about getting a patent, read our post How to Patent Your Product Idea.

You can infringe upon someone’s patent (or they can infringe upon yours) without directly copying.

Patents come in two types: utility and design. Utility patents, as you’ve probably inferred, cover how a product works, is made, or how it’s used. Design patents, on the other hand, protect a product’s appearance. So even if you’re not copying a full product, you could still be infringing on someone else’s patent by using the same functioning mechanism, for example, in your invention.

The way around this is through licensing—if you wanted to use that mechanism, you’d pay the patent owner a licensing fee that would give you the right to include it in your product.

Infringement gets a little stickier in the software industry, where certain components become vital to a product’s performance—once Apple invented the iPhone, everyone had to jump on the smartphone wagon or be left miles in the dust. You’ve doubtless heard of some of the higher-profile squabbles over IP, like the infamous and endless lawsuit Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. According to Apple, Samsung infringed on many different Apple patents with its line of tablets and smartphones. Samsung, of course, disagreed.

Now, most of us aren’t inventing something as revolutionary as the smartphone. Nevertheless, the takeaway from this and other IP legal battles is: If you’re working on a high-demand design or product, or plan to sell your product widely, it pays to do your homework and get your product patented. That way, if someone does infringe upon it, you’ll at least have a legal leg to stand on if you take them to court.

The best way to make sure you’re not infringing is to do a patent search.

Before you hire that patent attorney and pull together the filing fee, you should consider doing a patent search to make sure you’re not inadvertently copying a part of someone else’s idea. This can sound more daunting than it actually is: because patents only last 20 years, you only need look back through the last 20 years of patents, not the entire history.

There are patent search professionals who can do this for you, but it’s quite possible to do on your own as well. You’d start by coming up with a list of terms to describe your invention, then enter them into the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s online search. From there, you can find patents for products that are similar to your own.

The world of intellectual property can be a confusing one to maneuver—but if you want to protect your rights and your products, it’s important to have some basic IP knowledge. If Pivot can help you with your product design, prototyping, manufacturing, or even setting up your business, let us know—contact us today!

4 New Year’s Resolutions that New Inventors and School Kids Have in Common

What could school kids and new inventors have in common? One group is playing with gifts from the holidays and trying to stand out from the crowd while struggling to keep up with the trends … and the other group is kids! Oddly enough, these two groups have more similarities than you’d think. Check out these New Year’s Resolutions that can be shared by both kids and inventors.

1. I Will Spend More Time Studying

With a new invention, it’s easy to get carried away. “How could someone not have thought of this,” you think. Like a kid who thinks they found a new way to sneak answers into a test, unfortunately, you may not be the first to come up with your idea. Perhaps there is nothing like your invention in stores, and you don’t see any advertisements for anything similar, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your homework. Not performing a patent or an internet search would be a big mistake and is a common misstep for new inventors. So study up, and do some patent searching before you get ahead of yourself.

2. I Will Be Honest

Obviously you plan on making your new invention thrive in 2016. After all, no one comes up with a new or revolutionary product and expects it to fail, but things are rarely simple. Everyone at some point will face setbacks and experience challenges they never saw coming when manufacturing your new product, no matter how much studying they do. A common mistake startup founders make is trying to hide bad news, so make sure you foster a relationship with your investors based on trust and transparency. Let the people who had faith in your idea know the good, as well as the bad and take it all in stride. Your backers have faith in your idea for a reason, so don’t think one bit of bad news will scare them away.

3. I Won’t Follow The Crowd

“If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” There’s a good chance you heard that as a kid – it’s a classic parents go-to. However, when it comes to bringing your product to market, this still holds true. Just because other inventors you meet are manufacturing with a specific company, or are going with a global distribution plan right from the start, doesn’t mean that is what is best for your invention or your eventual brand. If you’re new to inventing, manufacturing and distributing, it is best to take things slow and learn as you go. You don’t want to end up taking on too much, leaving yourself without a safety net.

4. I’ll Be Smart With My Allowance

Bringing your first invention to market can be thrilling, but it can also be scary. With R&D, manufacturing and distribution all up to you, budgeting is extremely important. Like a kid with a new allowance, capital from your first set of investors can quickly burn a hole in your pocket. Don’t let that happen! Another major mistaken inventors make is going through your startup money too quickly. Do your research, set an initial allowance for each phase of development, and stick to it. If you spend less than expected in one area, then it can reallocated to another!

For more information on manufacturing, inventing, and gaining an experienced partner who knows how to work with both, please visit the Pivot International website!

Should You License Your Product?

When it comes to getting a new product into the market, there are essentially two routes an inventor can take. The first? Start a company and manufacture, market, and sell the product on one’s own. The second? License the product to another company, and let them handle the manufacturing, marketing, and selling.

As with everything, there are pros and cons to both choices. The question of whether to license deserves some serious consideration – and potentially the advice of a lawyer – but here are a few things to think about to get you started.

Producing your product on your own

For many inventors, this is probably what you imagined doing when you were a kid. You’d create an amazing product that people went crazy over, stores would beg you to sell it to them so they could supply their customers’ massive demand, and your family members would see it on shelves everywhere and realize what a genius you were.

Well, that scenario might happen for a very, very select few people, but for most of us, sadly, it’s a bit harder to get our product from a design on paper to being sold in a store, without any outside help.

One of the biggest reasons that people avoid licensing their products is that they maintain control of the product and every aspect of its development, production, and marketing. This is a huge pro on the side of self-producing. But you should also make sure that you’re willing to assume the business risk that comes with taking this route before you make any hard and fast decisions.

Another thing to think about is that If you decide to market and sell your product yourself, you’ll have to get it manufactured, market the product, and approach retailers on your own. This can be a daunting proposition, and it’s actually why we at Pivot do what we do.

Instead of searching for the right manufacturer, which may be located across the globe, you can hire Pivot to do the manufacturing for you. We can handle that entire process, as well as creating prototypes, helping with regulatory compliance, and other important parts of getting a product to market.

If you’re ready to dive headfirst into making your product a success, this might be the path you want to take.

Licensing your product

Licensing your product involves selling someone else the rights to produce and sell your product for a given period of time. In turn, you collect payments – either up front or at regular intervals – called royalties.

One of the positive things about choosing to license is that the company that holds the license also effectively holds all the business risk associated with producing your product. It’s up to them to make sure the product turns a profit, and they’ve got a vested interest in doing so. At the same time, you have to put in a lot less cash up front than you would producing your item yourself.

Usually, these companies know exactly how to proceed in order to get the best results, and have contacts in the manufacturing, distribution, and retail worlds that enable them to get your product into stores.

The downside to this process is that you are ceding control of your product to another entity. They’ll be in charge of packaging decisions, marketing, pricing, and more. And of course, you lose control over your intellectual property.

In addition, there’s always a chance that the company will choose not to produce your product, and they could block you from producing it for a certain period of time.

If licensing is something you want to pursue, you should expect to put in a good deal of work on your product before you begin pitching it to companies. Anyone interested in your product will absolutely require a prototype, and they’ll expect you to have worked out most, if not all, of the kinks before you bring it to them. If they think it’s got a solid chance of making a great profit, they may agree to buy it.

The bottom line? Both self-producing and licensing have their good and bad points, and it really just depends on what you’re comfortable with. If you decide to go the self-production route and need some help getting from start to finish, contact us at Pivot!

How to Beat the Post-Holiday Blues and Get Back into Creative Mode

We’re probably all familiar with that little dip in spirits that often comes after the holidays. Once the parties are over, gifts are given, and A Christmas Story is no longer on repeat on TV, we start to settle back into the reality of everyday, non-holiday life. And frankly, that can be a little depressing.

Jumping back into work can be especially hard for people whose jobs require creativity, like inventors and product designers. Sometimes, all you feel able to do is tasks that require no creative thought, like data entry or punching in a few numbers.

But if you can force yourself to move past that initial inertia, thinking creatively can be its own reward. It’ll actually help pull you out of that blue mood, if you let it.

Here are a few ways to beat those post-holiday blues and get back in creative mode.

1. Ease yourself slowly back into the daily grind. During the holidays, we over-indulge in all kinds of things – food, relaxation, spending. While it’s tempting to think that as soon as New Year’s Day hits, we’ll suddenly have all this self-discipline, that’s usually not the case. Give yourself some time to get all the way back into your routine.

Try to add healthy things to your diet, instead of just eliminating items. Start off at work by doing some easier, less demanding tasks, rather than expecting yourself to come up with five new, fully formed product ideas right off the bat. This will prevent you from adding to your negative emotions by feeling you’re inadequate or lazy – which, of course, you aren’t.

2. Add some fun into your work routine. Whether you’re an independent inventor who works from home, a freelance product designer with a day job, or a full-time product developer, there are always ways to inject some fun (read: creativity) into your typical work routine. Not only will it increase your creative thinking, it will make getting back into your post-holiday routine a lot more enjoyable.

You could go for a stroll during lunch time with a colleague, for example – chatting and getting some exercise will instantly boost your mood and leave you feeling refreshed, both mentally and physically.

Or try a creativity-building exercise like free writing – all you have to do is take a piece of paper and pen or pencil and write whatever comes to mind for 10 minutes. It’ll loosen up your thinking, and get those creative juices flowing.

3. Introduce some moderate distraction into your work environment. All those hipsters working on their Great American Novels at Starbucks? They may be annoying, but they’ve actually got the right idea.

Surprisingly, creativity thrives not in silence, but when we’ve got some mild distractions around us. If you’re in an office, you could accomplish this by listening to some quiet music, or taking your work into a cafeteria or other area where you can be around other people.

4. Practice making connections between unrelated things. According to an Inc. article on creativity, one way to generate ideas is to force connections between unrelated things.

So let’s say you’re trying to come up with a new consumer product aimed at the 18-24 age demographic. With that knowledge you could start looking around your office at whatever random things are scattered about. There’s some stationery, a water glass, a printer, your coat, etc. Then start making connections between those things and the demographic you’re targeting. You’re not looking for ready-to-manufacture product ideas just yet – instead, you’re coming up with material that will spark further thought, which sparks further thought, and so on. You might just come up with your next great idea.

5. Free yourself from self-criticism. What do most of us do with our risky, out of the ordinary ideas? We shoot them down before we can even get them out on paper. That’s why so many adults don’t draw, or paint, or write creatively – we censor ourselves from the get-go because we think what we come up with isn’t worth anyone’s time, even our own.

But creativity certainly can’t flourish in that environment. Those of us who create for a living must have had some success already silencing that negative inner voice, but you can always continue to practice. It’ll not only allow you to pursue more potentially good ideas, but it’ll make life a lot more joyful, too.

The holiday blues are no fun, but don’t let them impair your creativity any more than you have to. And once you’ve got that great idea, let Pivot help you make it a reality! We can help you make a prototype, get your product manufactured, or manage your supply chain. Contact us today!

Should I Patent My Invention?

There are lots of decisions to make along the way from product concept to product reality. Should you put together a team, or do as much as you can on your own? Do you use CAD for prototyping, or do you have one manufactured the traditional way? Do you manufacture domestically or outsource?

These are all complex questions to consider, but perhaps the most basic one comes right at the beginning of your process: should you file for a patent?

Obviously, having a patent is the only ironclad way to ensure that your invention is legally protected, should someone challenge your ownership or try to copy your idea. At the same time, hiring a patent attorney to help you file your application—which is usually, though not necessarily always, advisable—can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $16,000, depending on the complexity of your product.

So how do you decide whether to take the risk with your product, or fork over the money to have it patented?

Consider how much commercial value your product potentially has.

This is a fairly straightforward question: is your product something you plan on selling to the public and (hopefully) making a profit from? Or is it more something that will just be helpful to you and people you’re close to? If it’s something that you don’t see fitting into the marketplace, it might be smart to save your money and forgo a patent.

But if you do think your product might have commercial value—even if that might be only in the future—think long and hard about forgoing a patent.

Consider trade secret protection instead of a patent.

If your invention is a process, formula, instrument, design, or commercial method that allows you or your business to gain an economic advantage over other businesses, there’s a chance your product might qualify for trade secret protection. Coca-Cola’s formula is a trade secret; so is the recipe for Mrs. Fields’ Chocolate Chip Cookies.

In some ways, trade secret protection is more desirable than a patent. You don’t have to apply for it, so it can take place immediately—although in order to be legal, it must fit certain qualifications. Patents, on the other hand, can take years to move through the application process.

Trade secrets never expire, unlike patents, which expire after 20 years. And you can protect it simply by requiring those you work for to sign non-disclosure agreements.

However, there are down sides to trade secrets, too. If someone can figure out your secret independently, using reverse engineering or another legal method, you’re out of luck. Also, if you intend to patent your trade secret, you’ll have to do it within 12 months of originating your complete idea—otherwise, you have no claim to the patent.

Patent your product yourself.

Although this is a risky proposition for any invention with major commercial or industry value, lots of people file patents on their own. The key is to first educate yourself on how intellectual property and the patent system works—there are lots of resources for this online, from e-books to online courses.

After you’ve gotten a good idea of what the process requires and what steps you have to take, it’s time to start. The easiest way to get going is to file a provisional application, a non-binding patent that will protect your idea while you work on it, for up to 12 months. Because this application has no set format, it’s easier for non-patent professionals to work with.

The non-provisional application is the more difficult one, and it’s for this that individuals usually hire patent attorneys. However, it is, of course, possible to file this on your own too, saving thousands of dollars that you can put toward product development or marketing.

If you feel a little nervous about doing this on your own, but still don’t want to hire an attorney for the entire process, you can always bring one in after you’ve done all you feel you’re capable of. This way, you’ll still save money, but you’ll have the benefit of a professional opinion.

At Pivot, we love helping people take their ideas from concept to reality. Check out our services, which include product design, product manufacturing, and business development, among others. If you think we can help you, contact us!

Five Things to Consider Before Hiring a Patent Professional

As any inventor who’s gone through the patent process knows, filing a patent is almost always a complex, time-consuming process—even if your invention is a fairly simple one.

Now, many inventors and even small companies that create new products forgo the patent process, usually because they think it will take up too much time, money, or both. Choosing to file or not to file is a decision to consider carefully, as not filing for a patent means you won’t have legal protection should someone copy your idea. However, there are cases when not filing can make sense.

This post, however, is for those inventors and companies that do intend to file patents for their ideas. While in many cases, it’s advisable to hire a patent attorney to help with the patent process, there are things you can do in order to cut down on legal expenses and make the process as efficient as possible.

1. Educate yourself on intellectual property law. There are many online resources, including full courses, on intellectual property law that can help you gain a broad view of how intellectual property works. This can be of great value in helping you decide whether and when to hire an attorney. In addition, knowing something about the law will help you hire the best, most competent attorney for your needs, and avoid any potential scams (which do, unfortunately, exist).
2. Ask yourself key questions. The first question, which presumably you’ve already answered is “Do I need a patent?” Other questions you’ll want to ask yourself, however, include things like:

Am I willing to do the research required to file an application myself?

Do I have the time to devote to this research? Is there a deadline or timeline I must adhere to?

If I file myself, will I feel confident that I can defend my patent in a court of law?

Answer honestly—if you are ready to approach the patent process as a kind of project, then you’re probably ready to dive in and try to file yourself. If, however, you think your peace of mind would suffer if you do everything without the help of a legal professional—if, for example, you think your invention has great commercial value that others might try to infringe upon—you should most likely at least set up a consultation with a registered patent attorney.

3. Decide what and how much you want to do yourself. Even if you decide you don’t want to risk going through the entire patent process on your own, there’s probably work you can do on your own to save on legal fees. For example, one of the earliest steps in the process is deciding whether or not you have a protectable invention, which means that it’s something new and that it fits into one of the categories created by the Patent and Trademark Office.

You may also be able to do the patent search on your own, although there are professional patent searchers that you can hire if you choose.

4. Consider filing a provisional patent application yourself and saving your attorney fees for later, if you decide to file the binding, non-provisional application. Many inventors decide to file a provisional application on their own. The provisional application is a kind of initial step in the patent process—what it does is protect your invention while you finish fine-tuning the details. A provisional application expires in 12 months, so unless you file a non-provisional application within that time period, your patent will be considered abandoned.

There’s no set format for a provisional application, which makes it easier to file on your own. This is a great choice for individuals working on products that may not have high commercial value.

The non-provisional application is harder to file on one’s own and is the application that most inventors tend to hire a patent attorney for.

5. If you created your product as an individual, make sure your attorney is knowledgeable about working with independent inventors. Some attorneys are more familiar working with companies than individuals, so make sure you ask your attorney about this before hiring him or her. You’ll want to see if they are willing to go about the process in a way that’s acceptable to you, whether that means doing the entire patent from start to finish, or just coming in at the end to give your application a detailed review.

While we at Pivot don’t work on the patent process, we do help with just about everything else, from new product concept and design to product manufacturing. If you’ve got a great idea you’d like to pursue, contact Pivot today!