I designed a club...

[sillywilly]

i wonder if Ottawagolf will purchase my idea from me

[Chieflongtee]

I'm not an expert by any means at inventions but I would think to protect your idea before you take it to callaway, TM..etc. is to get it patented so it can't be stollen

http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ci...c.nsf/eng/Home

What happens when a patent is registered in one country? Does it automatically carry on to other countries?

In this paùrticular case would the patent carry over to the US and across the world? How long is a patent valid for?
http://www.uspto.gov/

[jvincent]

I'm not a patent expert but I know that we always used to file patents where the most money was going to be generated, typically the US. Only some ever got filed in other jurisdictions (Canada/UK).

There are probably some international agreements covering patents.

[4jag]

Sounds very interesting and I wish you the very best of luck but if you intend to bring this putter to market yourself be prepared to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars (your own $ plus whatever you can raise from investors) and several years of effort to get it done.

A good friend of mine recently launched a product that he invented (non-golf related). Took him 5 years to do and he re-mortgaged his house, maxed out all credit cards and lines of credit and had more then $100,000 in outside investors.

Step one is protect your idea, step 2 is put together a rock solid business plan and start soliciting investors.

Good luck.

p.s. I'll take 2 of them!

[jeffc]

or apply to be on Dragon's Den....

[sillywilly]

just a suggestion...

Go watch Flash of Genius before you take your designs to the big boys.

i saw the movie, it was fantastic

[sillywilly]

very good info everyone. thank
I would love it if someone saw the design and said, I'll give you $$$ for it. I'd take it in a second! how do you know how much something is worth??

[jonf]

Well, first you have to decide how marketable it really is. How many can you sell, theoretically? Is this something that a few golfers will try, but few will stick with? Or is it something that could find itself in a lot of golf bags? I think some market research is a big step in figuring out how marketable it could or could not be. Then there are all sorts of considerations like: how much money is it going to cost to produce them? To market them? How much of a markup can you charge? Are you better off selling your idea and leaving these costs with someone else, or is it such a good idea that the short term expense is worth the long term gain?

[1972Apex]

I was a bit skeptical of this thread when I saw who posted it, but after Hacker shared the design with me I have to say that for certain golfers this could be a real stroke saver.
I hate to give away silly's patent secret, but here is the scoop: The top of the grip unscrews much like putters designed to have replaceable weights in the grip in order to backweight the putter. Silly's design allows for backweighting. But where he takes it one step further is that the weights each contain a high tech eraser. This advanced eraser removes, pencil, ink and indelible marker with ease, allowing the users to quickly amend those nasty 3 putts and double bogeys to the score they really should have had on that hole. Will not damage scorecards and it is impossible to tell they have been altered in any way. Sure to knock 5 strokes off anyone's game and definitely lower the putts per green average.

[Big Johnny69]

I was a bit skeptical of this thread when I saw who posted it, but after Hacker shared the design with me I have to say that for certain golfers this could be a real stroke saver.
I hate to give away silly's patent secret, but here is the scoop: The top of the grip unscrews much like putters designed to have replaceable weights in the grip in order to backweight the putter. Silly's design allows for backweighting. But where he takes it one step further is that the weights each contain a high tech eraser. This advanced eraser removes, pencil, ink and indelible marker with ease, allowing the users to quickly amend those nasty 3 putts and double bogeys to the score they really should have had on that hole. Will not damage scorecards and it is impossible to tell they have been altered in any way. Sure to knock 5 strokes off anyone's game and definitely lower the putts per green average.

Now that's funny, and I don't care who you are!!!!!

[sillywilly]

jeez!! thanks for telling him hacker!! the original design was to unscrew the grip and drink the booze that is scored in the shaft. black label, gotta love the johny walker

[Hacker]

jeez!! thanks for telling him hacker!! the original design was to unscrew the grip and drink the booze that is scored in the shaft. black label, gotta love the johny walker

Hey, I have a family to support and he offered me $100 so......

[Chieflongtee]

jeez!! thanks for telling him hacker!! the original design was to unscrew the grip and drink the booze that is scored in the shaft. black label, gotta love the johny walker

You better find an insert so the booze doesn't get mixed up with the rust,the corks and all

[sillywilly]

You better find an insert so the booze doesn't get mixed up with the rust,the corks and all

what rust? the shaft is made of chocolate

[Hacker]

what rust? the shaft is made of chocolate

Mmmmmm yeah!! Yummy Belgian White Chocolate !!!!

[Gapwedge]

Step one is protect your idea, step 2 is put together a rock solid business plan and start soliciting investors.

Concur with part 1, and offer some clarification for the business model: I would suggest you seek to licence the design to a major manufacturer and collect royalties. Do not attempt to get into your own production, marketing, distribution, sales, service business. This is the route to financial ruin.

Get a patent, make a few prototypes, then go see the big players.
________
Toyota Group Specifications

[sillywilly]

Concur with part 1, and offer some clarification for the business model: I would suggest you seek to licence the design to a major manufacturer and collect royalties. Do not attempt to get into your own production, marketing, distribution, sales, service business. This is the route to financial ruin.

Get a patent, make a few prototypes, then go see the big players.

thats what I was thinking

great advice everyone, when I'm rich and famous I'll probably never speak to you guys again so once again thanks hehe haha hoho

[jvincent]

I'll disagree about trying to work with the big guys and get a licensing deal. Quite honestly, they have an army of staff (and lawyers) so once you approach them, forget it. Any license they give you will be minuscule.

More realistically you might be better off pursuing a model like Slighter or 350milled. I.e. a boutique putter shop. They have little or no advertising other than webpages and word of mouth. They build/ship individual putters and covers so from what I can see their production costs are low.

If the design takes off then you might get approached by one of the big guys. In that scenario you control the terms.

My advice, don't quit your day job just yet.

[Hank Hill]

An design is only patentable if it is:

- novel (never done before)
- it works
- is not obvious to an expert in the field (innovative)

If it fits into these 3 categories then get the patent process (through CIPO) started ASAP, once it is under consideration (takes about 1 year) then no-one can submit the same design.

[ForeontheFloor]

Maybe drop an email to this guy http://www.mygolfspy.com/.
He seems to have the inside scope and may be able to point you in the right direction.

[spackler]

More realistically you might be better off pursuing a model like Slighter or 350milled. I.e. a boutique putter shop. They have little or no advertising other than webpages and word of mouth. They build/ship individual putters and covers so from what I can see their production costs are low.

350milled, Chip and Lee, are an especially good example. They've added to their product line lately, but basically produce Anser shaped heads in stainless and carbon. They don't do any of the milling themselves, they don't do the finishes either. Their involvement, outside of sales, is stamping the heads, paintfill and putting the shaft and grip on the putter. They also don't keep much inventory around, so they keep their costs really low.

[btasse]

All I will say is that if no one already has a claim to his design Silly may very well have something that could take off. Nothing fancy from a MOI, CG or fancy groove perspective, just a non-traditional approach to sighting and ball alignment - that makes a lot of sence, at least to me

"Sence" ......

[btasse]

i wonder if Ottawagolf will purchase my idea from me

NonSence.......