Patents and Inventions

Question

I have an idea for an invention.

Can you patent an idea or do you have to build it first?

How do I find out if something like this is already been invented, or all ready patented?

I'm in Canada, if that makes a difference.

If nothing has been patented similar to my idea.

How do I get the whole thing started?

Thanks for any direction anyone can send me.

I hope I can find the right catagory for this one.

Answer 1

If you can explain how to make and use the invention then you can get a patent.  No one is going to ask for a prototype. But if you dont really know how to make and use the invention and what you write in the patent is wrong, it can make the patent invalid.

You can't really find out for sure if its been invented already.All you can do is try to find out.  You can do that by hiring someone to do a search or you can do it yourself.  A pro probably has a better chance of finding it... but you can do it yourself.

Use google to look for it in the general web.  Also, google/patents will find U.S. patents and applications... follow the more /even more links from the main google page to find google patents..

to get started, scrape together a 5-20 K to pay a patent attorney and then call one.